J Dub returns for OKC + Are the Lakers title contenders?

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – March 24, 2026

Episode: J Dub returns for OKC + Are the Lakers title contenders?

Hosts: Dave DuFour, Esfandiar Baraheni (“S”), with Dan Woike

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Episode Overview

This episode covers a high-energy NBA Monday night, focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s blowout win against the Sixers with the return of Jalen Williams (J Dub), an analysis of Victor Wembanyama’s incredible impact, surprising results around the league, and a deep dive into the Lakers’ playoff outlook with Dan Woike. The conversation features game analysis, MVP debate, team chemistry, and the playoff picture as the season nears its climax.

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Key Discussion Points

Jalen Williams (J Dub) Returns: Thunder Dominate Sixers

• Thunder 123, Sixers 103
  • Jalen Williams returns, playing 20 minutes: 18 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds (8/14 FG)
  • OKC’s wing depth and offensive versatility highlighted
  • Validation that Williams’ presence immediately raises the team’s ceiling
• Analysis of J Dub’s Impact
  • “He looked awesome. He looked exactly like the J Dub that we saw last year become an all NBA and all defense level player.” – S (03:48)
  • Importance of having another wing ball handler; his facilitation diversifies lineups, especially when SGA is off the court
  • Thunder’s expanded shooting and ball-handling options compared to previous year

Wembanyama Watch: Spurs Blow Out Heat

• Spurs 136, Heat 111
  • Victor Wembanyama: 26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks
  • Defensive dominance alters opponents’ game plans, changes the calculus of NBA play
• Rule Change Discussion and MVP Candidacy
  • “We’re gonna have to make some rule changes or something because what he is doing on the defensive end is really hard to quantify...” – Dave (06:04)
  • “He is as good defensively as Shay is on offense or Jokic is on offense. Like, that’s how good of a defender Wemby is.” – S (07:41)
  • Young MVP candidates: Wemby likely to finish top-3
  • Discussion of Wembanyama as a once-in-a-generation “mythological” figure, akin to peak Kareem, Wilt, or Jordan

Bad Beats: Magic and Rockets Lose Ugly

• Indiana Pacers snap 16-game losing streak by beating the Magic
  • Noted as a shock given Pacers’ recent form
• Bulls’ Big Comeback Over Rockets: 132–124
  • Rockets’ 20-point first quarter lead squandered
  • Durant scores 40 in the loss; Alperen Sengun with a 33-point triple-double
  • Lack of bench depth and repeated ugly losses cast doubt on Rockets’ playoff hopes
  • “If you have to go to the lengths of playing KD, 40 minutes… and you can’t really trust your depth... I just, I question the optionality.” – S (11:55)

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Deep Dive: Are the Lakers Title Contenders?

With Special Guest: Dan Woike (The Athletic)

[Segment begins ~15:31]

Lakers’ Recent Form & Winning Streak

• Nine-game winning streak snapped by Pistons (113–110 loss)
  • “This is a much different team and I would even say this was a much different loss than we would have seen out of them a few months ago.” – Dave (16:14)
• What Changed?
  • Health: The Lakers’ best stretch of roster continuity this year
  • Clear roles & coaching: JJ Redick and the staff’s clarity in responsibilities; LeBron’s role acceptance as “third option”
    • “Credit to LeBron James for real clear role acceptance when it comes to being... the quote unquote, third option. Shot volume is way down. Winning plays around the margins are way up...” – Dan Woike (18:14)
  • Luka Doncic’s peak form: “Luka Doncic has been incredible. Like, has just been on an otherworldly heater.” – Dan Woike (19:06)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Austin Reaves anecdote on team resilience

  • “Two months ago... we lose by a hundred.” – Austin Reaves (quoting Dan, 16:49)
  • Emphasizing the team’s newfound resilience compared to January

• LeBron James as ultimate team player

  • Accepts “third option” status, remains impactful without scoring
  • Steps up with key defensive plays and assists when not scoring

• Team Chemistry & Mentality

  • “They sort of seem like a team that knows how to play together now. And that hasn’t been true for much of the season... they seem like a team that likes playing together now... this is a group that is happy for whoever did the good thing.” – Dan Woike (21:07‐22:47)
  • Citing the Thunder’s positive chemistry as a model

The Playoff Picture and Expectations

• Lakers now control their destiny for the 3-seed in the West
• Upgrades on defense and chemistry boost their ceiling
• Challenges remain: new roles/new lineup structure still untested in playoffs
• “I think they view their ceiling as being higher than it was a year ago... but they understand that they still have, like, low samples kind of working against them” – Dan Woike (20:32)

Vibes & Close Games

• “There wasn’t any finger pointing after the game.” (23:45)
• Lakers’ improvement at closing out tight contests; more resilient, less prone to falling apart during scoring droughts

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MVP Race: As Tight as Ever

[Notable Segment: 24:02–28:02]

• Luka Doncic’s Case

  • 33 PPG, 8 RPG, 8 APG—historic Lakers season
  • “He’s been a more willing passer. He’s playing with more trust for his teammates. His teammates have responded.” – Dan Woike (25:22)
  • Acknowledges valley in December but stellar since mid-January

• Historic Company

  • “I think he’s absolutely in the top four... I think it’s probably closer than people who haven’t been watching lately realize.” – Dan Woike (26:49)

• Overall MVP Discussion

  • Jokic, SGA, Wembanyama, Luka as consensus top-four
  • “Victor Wembanyama is breaking my brain. I’m trying to figure out, does the league need to change some sort of defensive rule to counteract what he’s able to do physically?” – Dave (27:07)
  • Comparison to loaded 2017–2018 race

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jalen Williams’ Return & Thunder Segment: 03:22–05:43
• Wembanyama/Spurs Segment + MVP Race: 05:43–09:41, more MVP at 24:02–28:02
• Magic/Pacers, Rockets/Bulls Breakdown: 10:04–12:32
• Lakers’ Contender Status & Team Chemistry (Guest: Dan Woike): 15:31–32:24

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Memorable Quotes

• “He looked awesome. He looked exactly like the J Dub that we saw last year…” – S, 03:48
• “We’re gonna have to make some rule changes or something because what [Wembanyama] is doing on the defensive end is really hard to quantify...” – Dave, 06:04
• “He is as good defensively as Shay is on offense or Jokic is on offense. Like, that’s how good of a defender Wemby is.” – S, 07:41
• “Credit to LeBron James for real clear role acceptance when it comes to being… the quote unquote, third option. Shot volume is way down. Winning plays around the margins are way up.” – Dan Woike, 18:14
• “There are just vibes right now. And look, it’d be hard to be a team that wins nine games in a row and have crappy vibes.” – Dan Woike, 23:25

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• Thunder Ascendent: With J Dub’s return, OKC’s offense and lineup flexibility improve dramatically.
• Wembanyama’s Singular Impact: His defensive prowess continues to defy traditional measures; a top-tier MVP candidate at 22.
• Rockets’ Playoff Woes Continue: Weak depth, bad losses cast shadow.
• Lakers Have Arrived: Health, defined roles, and team chemistry fuel an elite stretch, Luka Doncic performing at MVP level, and LeBron thriving as a supportive star.
• The MVP Race: As close and compelling as the league has seen in years, with generational talent at the forefront.

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For full analysis and game-by-game insight, catch future episodes of The Athletic NBA Daily.

Transcript

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[Dave DeFore]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon prime for March 24, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Esperahenney. Coming up, J Dub is back for the Thunder. They smacked the Sixers. Wemby is ridiculous. And the Lakers winning streak is over. Good morning, everybody. What is up, S. How are you?

[Esperahenney]

Morning.

[Dave DeFore]

Morning.

[Esperahenney]

I'm doing well, man.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, we're almost there.

[Esperahenney]

We're almost to play off time, Dave.

[Dan Woicke]

Sure.

[Dave DeFore]

But still had a big Monday night in the NBA. We got. We got Dan Woicke. After the break, we're going to talk about the Lakers and whether or not they're title contenders, which is starting to feel like they are even after what was a solid loss to a good team.

[Esperahenney]

Yeah, still figuring it out with Alkade. By the way, Dennis Jenkins absolutely look great.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, Jalen Duran just continues to just make his case for all NBA, which is pretty impressive. So we talk about that after the break. But let's start with the Thunder because that's. That's what we do around here. The Thunder blew out the Sixers 123. 103. The biggest news from this game was Jalen Williams is back. He put up 18 points, had six assists, four rebounds, eight of 14 from the field. S. How did he look?

[Esperahenney]

He looked awesome. He looked exactly like the J Dub that we saw last year become an all NBA and all defense level player. Obviously he only played 20 minutes tonight, so we didn't see a 30 minute run from him. But in the time that he played, he was getting downhill. It was great to see the Thunder have another extra like wing ball handler. I know they've leaned on AJ Mitchell and Kayson Wallace to be those guys for them, but J Dub just provides a different dynamic for the Thunder team. And so watching him early in the first quarter, operate pick and rolls with him and Chet Holmgren or him and Isaiah Hartenstein and like actually facilitate offense for okc. It's a different layer to what they do. And obviously I mentioned this on last night's show too, but the trio of SGA chat and J Dub just win their minutes by so much so that just. They're better now because Jaylen Williams is back. It's as simple as that.

[Dave DeFore]

Almost at full strength. They didn't have A.J. mitchell. He was, you know, had to sit for a game. Jared McCain returned to Philly because he

[Esperahenney]

got into a fight.

[Dave DeFore]

That's right.

[Esperahenney]

He got into a melee. Against the Washington Wizards.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, so the thing about, the thing about J Dub, right, is that now you've got this bigger guy who can handle the ball and, and who can take advantage of mismatches and then you have all these other guards that can run around. I mean again, Jared McCain in this game, the movement threes. And you can see how when, when J Dub's out there, especially when he gets into that mid post. I, I don't know man. The Thunder just, they continue to win, they continue to roll and now they're getting healthy and they just look scarier and scarier.

[Esperahenney]

I'm glad you brought up that idea of like the shooters and the ball handlers that they have this year compared to last year because that's just another dynamic to play next to J Dub. So I'm thinking bench lineups. When Shay is off the floor, it's J Dub plus shooters plus a big. And you have a formula.

[Dave DeFore]

Which they did not have as an option.

[Esperahenney]

Yeah, they did not have that.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, totally. Yeah. So I mean I again, the Thunder somehow just looked better now than they did this time last year. Somehow the Spurs, I look, we're gonna have to do something about Victor Womenyama. They blew out the heat. 136, 111 women. Yama has 26, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks. Ho hum.

[Esperahenney]

I mean it was regular.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, we're going to have to make some rule changes or something because what he is doing on the defensive end is really hard to quantify because it's the shots that do not get taken that you don't see on the box. On the box score. And we watch Victor women Yama. I mean I try to make him appointment television. I watch as many spurs games as possible and I watched, I watch guys not even looking at the rim when they're driving to the basket. It is let me get this hot potato out of the paint and let's hope something good happens outside.

[Esperahenney]

Teams have basically abandoned trying to attack him too. I know there were some teams over the last couple weeks like Boston with Jaylen Brown tried to be physical with them. Obviously Jalen Brown got ejected in that game. But like I think there are teams that will try and test them and fail. And I just, I don't know how you solve that equation outside of maybe changing the rules eventually. But this is. And we talked about this with Dan Wiecky a little bit. But this is going to be an all time MVP race between Shea Gildress, Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic. And I was just looking at, like, young MVP candidates. Okay. And Wemby is 22 years old. Okay. He's probably going to end up top three on the MVP ballot. I think it's between, obviously, those four that we mentioned, but it feels like Wemby is going to be in the top three. Do we agree on that?

[Dave DeFore]

Yes, it feels. He feels third to me at least.

[Esperahenney]

At the very least, he's third. Right. Some would argue he's second. Truthfully, just because of how good the spurs have been this year.

[Dave DeFore]

Again, the defensive stuff, I think is going to be. There is no metric that catches this.

[Esperahenney]

He is. He is as good defensively as Shay is on offense or Jokic is on offense. Like, that's how good of a defender Wemby is. And on top of that, he's still averaging 23 points and still trying to figure out who he is as an offensive player, which is terrifying to think about. But. Okay, guys who have been top three MVP candidates, 22 years or younger. Kevin Durant in 2009, 2010. Derrick Rose obviously won the MVP in 2011, 22 years old. Tim Duncan in 1999. Shaquille O' Neal in 1995, he was 22 years old. Bob McAdoon, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Wes unselled, 22 years old. All of those guys, basically, outside of probably Derrick Rose, are like, top 20 to 25 players all time in the NBA.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, look, and I didn't see Kareem when he was that young. Obviously, by the time I saw him, he was, you know, making Forget Paris with Billy Crystal. But the stories that I heard.

[Esperahenney]

You didn't watch Airplane. No.

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[Dave DeFore]

I mean, of course, yes, but I mean, you know, when he was old. Retirement tour. But the thing about it is, you know, you hear the stories. Okay, we got to change this rule. We have to change this rule. We got to ban dunking. That's what Wimby feels like to me. Right. Like almost this mythological figure rather than just a basketball player. And it's because he is so different than everybody else. I mean, obviously he's, you know, seven foot six, but the way he moves at that height.

[Esperahenney]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

The way he has, you know, the ball handling skills. I mean, it just. He's on a different planet than everyone else. When Kareem was doing this, the league was. It was, you know, it's a professional league. I don't want to disrespect the guys by saying they were Plumbers.

[Esperahenney]

No, but they weren't far Removed from that. In that context though, Kareem Abdul Jabbar similar to like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell before him. They were spectacles because they were so different than everybody else. Right?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Esperahenney]

I would argue Michael Jordan was that right. Magic Johnson was that. Some would argue Larry Bird is that. And you, you look down the list like Steph Curry, is that right? LeBron James is that Victor Wembanyama is that like. That's the conversation we're feeling like we're getting to, which is. It's crazy to say. I don't know how far the spurs will go this season. Obviously the experience factor is there, but just. It's incredible to watch this guy somehow get better over the course of a season. It's. It's ridiculous.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, yeah, it's fun. We had a couple bad losses. Which one was worse? Orlando losing to the Indiana Pacers or the Houston Rockets losing to the Chicago Bulls? I'll start with whichever one you choose is the first, the worst.

[Esperahenney]

Oh, man. Well, the Pacers just snapped their 16 game losing streak. Congratulations.

[Dave DeFore]

They hadn't won a game since the all Star break.

[Esperahenney]

It's February 11th to be exact. Which is just. It blows my mind. Like, man, I appreciate Pacers fans for grinding through this right now. I hope you are awarded with a top lottery pick because of that. But I, I don't know. The Pacers were technically healthy in this game. No Zubots obviously, but like most of their guys were available for the Magic. They didn't have Jalen Suggs or Anthony Black. I feel like it's the Rockets, truthfully. I feel like it was the worst loss.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, the Bulls beat the Rockets 1:32, 1:24. They had a 20 point lead at the end of the first quarter. I mean, yeah, the Rockets just. If that doesn't happen, if they just came to play. Yeah, in the first quarter, they probably win this game. Kevin Durant puts up 40 in the loss.

[Esperahenney]

Shangun 33 point triple double.

[Dave DeFore]

Like it was a. Yeah, it is a shocking loss. And I mean, I, look, I want to give credit to the Bulls. The Bulls never stopped playing, obviously. Josh Giddy and Modest Beelas. At the end of the game, they just kind of took over. Giddy and his ability to drive was just, just absolutely wrecking the Houston defense. He winds up with 15 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds. Look, the Bulls, I think a little bit was. They just had some energy. They were, they seemed like they were super up for the game. Sure. And the Rockets, they fought all the way back. They get the lead down the stretch of the game and then their fourth quarter foibles just rise to the surface.

[Esperahenney]

Yeah, I agree. And again, like, when it comes to the Rockets in general, if you have to go to the lengths of playing KD, 40 minutes, Shang, 38 minutes. Amen. 40 minutes. And you can't really trust your depth, you know, Tar Eason ends up playing 15 minutes in this game. I just, I question the optionality, like what's available to them in the playoffs, you know, and again, we'll see. But it's just, it's tough to see when they have ugly losses like this. And truthfully, Dave, to your point, they've had a few ugly losses here over the last month, you know.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah.

[Esperahenney]

This isn't just the only one that we've seen from the Rockets this year.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, the vibes are not great. The defense is worse. And man, I just, I don't know. I don't believe in the Rockets guys. Stick around after the break. We got Dan Woikie to talk about the Lakers and whether Luka is on that MVP list.

[Dan Woicke]

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[Dave DeFore]

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[Dave DeFore]

For you daily listeners. I know the second half of this show has basically turned into a Lakers podcast, but that's what happens when they've got Luka Doncic, LeBron James and a nine game winning streak. And that winning streak ended last night thanks to a tough Pistons team and Dennis Jenkins who was just too much for the Lakers. The Lakers lose 113, 110. Here to talk about it, Dan Woicke. How you doing buddy?

[Dan Woicke]

Dennis Wikey. From now on I'm gonna go to my, I'm gonna go by my full name. My mother. My mother will be very proud. People are gonna believe that, you know, not true. It is not true.

[Dave DeFore]

Is your step back, Is your little step back as good as Dennis was last night?

[Dan Woicke]

It's more of a fallback when I try.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay.

[Dan Woicke]

More of a stumble, more of a.

[Dave DeFore]

So nine game winning streak is over. But this is a much different team and I would even say this was a much different loss than we would have seen out of them a few months ago. What's the biggest difference between this team now and let's just say pre All Star break?

[Dan Woicke]

So I think it's probably three things. So it's funny you mentioned that like after the game I'm in the locker room and I asked Austin Reeves, I'm like hey, like can I get for an extra minute after scrum? And he's like, grab a seat. We like just kind of like run down like a little bit of the streak. A little bit. And all the moments. Like I started with the game tonight and it was like sort of like when you guys went down like 16, he's like. And I was like two months ago and like he cut me off. He's like, we lose by a hundred. And then like I gave him another like moment like in Houston when like the Rockets on like, you know, when Sengoon like decides he's going to physically dominate for like a four minute stretch in the second quarter and like tell the Lakers like, no, we're not rolling over, you're not beating us twice in a row. They would let go of the rope and lose by a hundred. When they show up In Miami at 5 in the morning, you know, you lose by 100. When you feel like the refs have it out for you in Orlando, you lose by under. Like there are all these moments that, that like the lakers of like January 10th would have crumbled under and tonight included, like they're just not. And I think, you know, so what's, what's changed? Right? I think one, they're by and large they're healthy. Right? And they've been, they've had a, probably their best level of continuity here over this last month than they've had all year. Right. Didn't have Marcus Smart tonight really mattered. He would have been on the aforementioned Dennis Jenkins. Yeah, right. And no Ruihachi either. Yeah, yeah. No Ruijer either. Not fast enough to stay in front of Nash Jenkins, but he would have made him work for every.

[Dave DeFore]

The separation on that, on that push off for the step back. Probably isn't as. As much doesn't happen.

[Dan Woicke]

Probably. Yeah, yeah, probably doesn't happen as much. Right. So I think, you know, they've been healthy, so that's number one. I think credit to JJ Redick and their staff and credit to their stars for all like coming together. Like real clear role definition. Real clear role definition. And then credit to LeBron James for real clear role acceptance when it comes to being, you know, the quote unquote, third option. Yeah, right. Shot volume is way down. Winning plays around the margins are way up, you know, Was scoreless tonight in the first half. Third time only ever in his career. Didn't feel like he was out of the game like even a little bit. Like when I looked and saw he had no points, it wasn't like, oh my God, where's this guy been? I think he had six assists and like five rebounds and, and was active defensively, you know, so like that version of him right now has been great. And then, you know, look, he wasn't particularly great tonight. He had a rough game, you Know, where were we in Orlando. But Luka Doncic has been incredible. Like, has just been on an otherworldly heater. And I think the combination of those sort of things, you know, it. I know it seems crazy to say, like, three weeks ago we wouldn't have said, like, oh, the Lakers are a Wester Conference finals threat. They feel like one now, I would say, you know, I think. I think that doesn't feel crazy anymore. Like a real playoff run doesn't feel crazy for this team. And I think, you know, it's because those three things have happened and, and they happened over a long enough stretch of time that it feels like it could be real.

[Esperahenney]

I guess it's. It's one of those interesting things because it's happening so late in the season. And we've seen the Thunder do it for two years now. We've seen the spurs do it for almost a full season now. We've seen the Nuggets do it for five seasons. It feels like this is still very new into, obviously, the Luka Doncic era. But also, to your point, LeBron accepting this role of being the de facto, I guess, quote, unquote, third option, how much of that newness do you think could bleed into the playoffs of maybe the. The blueprint is there for them to make a run, but not fully get to the, to the other side of that, if that makes sense.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I mean, look, so the west is really good, right? So, like, I mean, they're. They're going to play good teams quickly, right? And there are some matchups that are better than others, right. They. They control their destiny for the three seed in the west just like they did a year ago, you know, like, they were a good basketball team last year, too, and that was with a not as engaged, not as physically capable Luka Doncic. That was with a roster that wasn't quite as talented. It had some. Some strengths to it, but, like, certainly didn't have, you know, the same type of size, the same type of defensive sort of prowess on the perimeter. When you talk about smart Laravia defensively and what they get and what they've been getting from deandre Ayton here over the last, you know, three weeks, again, a really good stretch from him. He had a really good fourth quarter, I thought, tonight some really big plays. So, you know, I think they view their ceiling as being higher than it was a year ago. And, like, they understand that they still have, like, low samples kind of working against them to some extent, but I think, like, it does sort of Feel like on a. On a daily basis that they've, like, whatever the threshold was to, like, figure it out, like, they've moved past it. You know what I mean? Like, they cleared that. They sort of cleared that hump of, like, what are we going to be like when this happens? Or what are we going to do when that happens? Like, they sort of seem like a team that knows how to play together now. And that hasn't been true for much of the season. And I think the other part of it is, is, like, they seem like a team that likes playing together now. Part of that's winning. Part of that's right. But even after tonight, like, you know, I talked to LeBron James about this. I've been awesome. He's about this. Like, there is a team that's, like, really, like, pulling for one another, and, like, that sounds like not a thing. And it's not to imply that they weren't before, but, like, really together. Basketball teams do this stuff. Like, you know, it's. This might make some people roll their eyes or vomit in their mouths if they're listening. I don't know what's. What's the eye roll version? No, but I was saying, like, okay, like, take the Thunder, for instance, right? Like. Like, what the Thunder do with, like, Nick Gallo post game, like, you know, is a little.

[Dave DeFore]

The first thing that came to mind when you talked about teams with good vibes, by the way.

[Dan Woicke]

It's a little thing, but it is. It is a nightly reinforcement that this is a group that is happy for whoever did the good thing. And I think about, you know, we talk a lot about LeBron James and sacrifice. I think about, you know, Luca going off in. In Miami. Like, who's there? Like, you know, like, celebrating the 60 and making sure he helps, like, get him to 60. It's LeBron James, Luke, in the second half of the second Houston game when he was unbelievable. Yeah.

[Esperahenney]

Luke Canard, the game winner, right? Like, everybody was.

[Dan Woicke]

Who's the first guy to grab him? Yeah, it's LeBron James. Right?

[Dave DeFore]

Well, LeBron knew it was Cash, so he was on his way.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. So, I mean, I think it is like, there are just, like, these. Like, there is. There are just vibes right now. And look, it'd be hard to be a team that wins nine games in a row and have crappy vibes. That would be tough in the NBA. I will tell you, after a loss, like tonight, a close loss, there wasn't any finger pointing after the game.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, not as really good down the stretch. Too, you know, it was good.

[Gab Advertiser]

It.

[Dave DeFore]

It wasn't one of these games. You know, sometimes with Luca, calls don't go his way and he wasn't getting to the free throw line like he wants to, and you didn't see him, like, he didn't let go of the rope. And I think that was maybe something that was happening earlier in the season.

[Dan Woicke]

Totally agree.

[Dave DeFore]

Let's. Let's talk about Luca because, you know, there's a lot of discussion about whether he should be in the MVP mix. I. I'm not sure about that. I do believe he's going to be in the top five vote getters, most likely. But the season that he's having, 33 points, eight rebounds, eight assists a game. When was the last time time someone for the Lakers had a season like this?

[Dan Woicke]

I mean, like, like 1920. LeBron was like, had like an awesome season. Yeah, but it wasn't like, exact. It wasn't quite, quite like this level of like, engine either. You know, I mean, this is like Pete, Kobe Bryant stuff. And even still, you know, like, not quite with the same level of efficiency, like, it's. He's having a wonderful season. He got off to an excellent start this year. He had a pretty bad December where he still was able to, like, get numbers, but, like, the team wasn't playing well. His body language wasn't great. You know, obviously he's had a lot of stuff happen off the court. Like, you know, it all kind of coincides with that timing. I think mid January to now. I mean, he's been one of the best players in the league.

[Esperahenney]

Absolutely.

[Dan Woicke]

If not, if not the best, like, I mean, really, like, like, I mean, if, you know, I think seeing him every night, you know, and it's one of those things, like, I'm not like grading him against Victor Wembanyama or Nikola Jokic, like, when I'm there, like, I'm grading him against Luka Doncic. Like, that is the standard to which I hold him to. Right. He's like the best version of himself. And I see a player who's more defensively engaged with better shot selection, still prone to a couple crazy ones here and there. Sure hit a crazy one tonight, though. And we'll make a crazy one. Yeah. Missed. Missed a go ahead tonight. Got to a spot, didn't make it. But I think, like, there are. To me, they're like, it's been like there. If you're going to play that way with, like, where you have one guy who's so domineering, the energy for everybody else has to be right. And it hasn't always been right. I think again, for the last month and a half, credit to him, credit to the other players, credit the coaching staff. It's been so much better. He's been a more willing passer. He's playing with more trust for his teammates. His teammates have responded. I mean, look, if we'll. We'll see what happens. I don't know if I'm voting or not for mvp. I think he's absolutely in the top four. And I think it's closer. I think it's probably closer than people who haven't been watching it lately. Like, like, realize.

[Esperahenney]

I was going to say top top four makes sense.

[Dave DeFore]

I think this entire MVP ra. Very close.

[Esperahenney]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, I mean, from a statistical standpoint, we know what Nicola Jokic does. She goes, Alexander's right there with all of these guys from a number standpoint. And they never.

[Dan Woicke]

And they never lose. And they never lose.

[Dave DeFore]

They're the best team in the league. Victor Wyama is breaking my brain. I'm trying to figure out, does the league need to change some sort of defensive rule to, to counteract what he's able to do physically, you know what I mean? And then there's Luca, who, who's doing this stuff, you know, for the Lakers. And I do think, like, we're going to have a pretty, a much tighter MVP race than, than maybe anybody feels

[Esperahenney]

like the best MVP race since like 2017, 2018. That like, era where it was obviously peak. Russell Westbrook and James Harden and KAWHI Leonard and LeBron and it would be

[Dave DeFore]

an extremely strong top five. Like, you know, Cade Cunningham is going to miss the rest of the season and probably won't, won't hit the 65 game mark.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

But I do think that that, that top four especially, I mean, that's going to be one of the best top fours in the last decade, at least.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I mean, I think he is sort of, you know, I mean, again, minus that month, like, has like, sort of delivered on the promise of his summer, you know what I mean? As seen, I think the fruits of the work that he's put in, you know, like the Lakers had like these slogans, right? Like at the season, like they wanted like championship habits, championship shape, championship communication. Those were like the bullet points every day when they were in the gym during training camp. And I think, you know, they've shown by peaking in mid March, like, they're in good shape. You know what I mean? I think they've built Good habits, you know? And I think right now, like, they're a team that's talking to one another and communicating. Luke is the head of that snake. I. I think. And deserves a lot of credit for where the team is at. You know, it's. It's funny that it's been such a weird year, guys. Like. Like, there has been, like, this. This underlying current, and we're talking about it now. Like, are the Lakers good or not? Right. Like, this has been. Dave. We've had versions. They're 20 games over.500.

[Esperahenney]

Yeah, they're. They're third in the west in, like, a very, very good one.

[Dan Woicke]

And they own the tiebreaker against Denver. They own the tiebreaker against Minnesota. They own the tiebreaker against Houston. And there's still a chunk of. There's still, like, this weird feeling, at least narrative wise, from people that they stink or that they're lucky or that, like, whatever it is like. Or that, you know, because of their point differential is what it is. I will tell you, when they lost, they sucked. Like, they were awful. Like, the rope. They let go of the rope. A lot of that is on Luca. Like, that's kind of been, you know, part of his sort of thing in the past. When he doesn't have it, they don't have it, and his energy is what it is. Like, even in the games that they've been blown out, they've been basically blown out, like, twice in the last, like, I don't know, like, 20 games. I'm just guessing at that number. Boston to San Antonio are the two blowout losses. That San Antonio loss was a disaster. Horrible game. Didn't play well at all. The Boston loss was a game in which, like, again, I'm a selling. I'm carrying water for them. They had, like, four and a half, like, horrible minutes in the second quarter or else, like, they're in every second of that game and, like, watching it there, like, feeling that way. And they've just had, like, really loud and, like, really loud mistakes, and I feel like they've quieted those. That's another thing, too. Like, they've kind of quiet them.

[Gab Advertiser]

They.

[Dan Woicke]

They had a game earlier this year, guys, in Phoenix. Again, they lost the buzzer. Whether it was Rasheer Fleming or. I'm trying to. Oh, Royce o'. Neill. Royce. Neil hit the game winner in that game. They lose that game by three points. I believe, if I'm. If I remember correctly, they were outscored by 29 points in. Or, I'm sorry, 26 points in three. Three one minute stretches total. They lost. They lost three minutes of that game by 26 points. And so, I mean, the other way to look at it is they won 45 minutes of that game by 29.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

You know, and so like, they've just, they've just like the total, like collapses. They've shored that up a little bit with a little more resiliency, a little more trust, a little more toughness. And guess what? You start winning close games. Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Hey, listen, there's a lot of team that they will track consecutive stops. And I don't know if the Lakers do that or not. I assume someone on the coaching staff does, but they're a team that when they get stopped consecutive times, they called kills. Right. Kills. Kills. So they used to fall apart and, and now they just don't. I mean, again, the resilience is there and they've got proven playoff performers. I mean, Luka Doncic is, you know, like, we've seen him do stuff in the playoffs that makes me believe that they would be scary against anybody. So looking forward to getting to the playoffs and seeing what they can do in a series. Dan Woicke, thank you so much for hanging out with us. Everybody go and read Dan over at the Athletic. Thank you, Dan. Thanks to Esperahenny. I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed it, drop a like leave a rating or let us know in the comments. Thank you guys for waking up with us.

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