The Athletic NBA Daily: "Josh Giddey, Clippers BAD, and Nets Identity" | Slam N Jam

Date: November 8, 2025
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht, Alex Spears
Guest: Mike Smelts

Overview

This episode of Saturday Slam 'N Jam covers the past week in the NBA, spotlighting breakout performances, team surprises and disappointments, and the ongoing “Wheel of Fandom” deep dive—this time focusing on the Brooklyn Nets. The show delivers a blend of analysis, trivia, and humor, culminating in an engaging discussion about youth development, team identity, and building for the future amid struggles.

Top Stories of the NBA Week

Segment: 02:10–06:37

• Ja Morant’s rocky start:

  • Suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after post-game interview snub.
  • Shooting jump (38% FG, 14% from three). Drives per game down from 20.3 to 14.6.
  • Grizzlies on a four-game losing streak, now 3–6.

• Indiana Pacers’ drama:

  • First win of the season vs. Warriors.
  • Miles Turner returns as "villain," booed during tribute despite decade-long tenure.
  • Close game loss to Giannis' Bucks on a midrange jumper.

• Kings’ unexpected strength:

  • Beat short-handed Bucks and Warriors despite missing key starters.
  • Russell Westbrook with a throwback triple double (23/16/10), Jokic moves to 2nd all-time in triple doubles (190).

• Thunder’s win streak snapped:

  • Franchise-best 8–0 start ends vs. Portland after blowing 22-point lead.

• Lakers/Rockets:

  • Share longest active win streak (five games).

• Injury updates:

  • Walker Kessler (out for year), Jared McCain returns for Sixers.

Quote:
"The NBA is never, ever boring." — Andrew (06:37)

The Good, The Bad, and the What?

Segment: 06:45–30:30

The Good

• Josh Giddey’s leap with the Bulls (07:34–10:07)

  • Historic stat line: If season ended today, Giddey would join elite company for 23/10/9 averages.
  • Sixth in drives per game, thriving as lead guard. Trade regrets mostly gone.
  • "Shout out to Josh Giddey… Josh needs some shine." — Andrew (09:06)

• Phoenix Suns' surprising competence (10:07–14:06)

  • Suns (3–1 in week), stifling defense against Wemby; good three-point shooting from Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neal.
  • Vibes and watchability much improved over preseason expectations.
  • "Maybe this team is just competently mediocre… but I’m much more interested than I expected." — Alex (13:28)

The Bad

• Disappointing Teams: Clippers, Magic, and Mavs (16:05–22:38)
  • Clippers: 3–5, bottom-tier in both offense and defense. Look "old," "slow," missing all defensive identity from last year.
  • Magic: Disappointing on both ends, especially defense. Jamal Mosley’s job on the hot seat.
  • Mavs: Dead last in offense, six sub-101 offensive rating games already.
  • "The Clippers… look old and not in a good way, not in the wily veteran way." — Alex (22:06)

The What

• Desmond Bane/Orlando Magic quote weirdness (25:09–27:05)

  • Onyeka Okongwu’s pointed, on-record comments about Magic’s shot distribution:

    “I can already tell that he’s frustrated over there. He’s not having the best year... Respectfully, Paolo and Franz take all the shots. It’s nothing personal.”—Onyeka Okongwu (25:59)

• Keonte George’s Free Throw Explosion (27:45–30:30)

  • Averaging 9.3 FTA/game through 8 games, 91% FT—approaching Jimmy Butler levels in FT rate.
  • Raises Jazz fans’ hopes for All-Star potential.

Wheel of Fandom: Focus on the Brooklyn Nets

Segment: 33:11–48:33, Guest: Mike Smelts

State of the Nets

• Nets entered the week 0–7, won a road game against Pacers.
• Still bottom-tier in offense (23rd) and dead last in defense (30th).

Rookie (Non-)Development

• Only Jaeger is seeing semi-regular minutes; others sent to G-League.
• No organizational plan evident, possibly a front office/coaching disconnect.
• Mike:

  “There’s no plan. It’s obvious they have no plan… To be good at basketball, you have to play basketball, which is why they’re gonna play on Long Island and not Brooklyn.” (36:06)

Jaeger (1st round rookie guard)

• Not living up to “Josh Giddey” comps; can’t get shot off inside arc, three-point shot shaky.
• Mike:

  “He’s unable to shoot the ball inside the three point line, which is not a good sign if you’re a 6'8" ball-handler.” (38:13)

Identity and Roster Direction

• Mike (sarcastically):

  “They didn’t construct this team for an identity. They constructed it to be bad. And they’re doing a fantastic job except for beating the one team they can't beat, the Pacers.” (45:39)

• Roster full of “ball hog” types not conducive to development.
• Mike:

  “The two biggest ball hogs in the NBA are leading it. Cam Thomas is the biggest… Cam Johnson’s not… a person that will sort of, you know, rising tide lifts all boats. It’s a good year.” (41:42)

Future Core Candidates

• If betting on THREE Nets to still be there when next playoff team comes, Mike only trusts Jaeger and Clowney, and jokes “Cooper Flagg’s son will be on this team.”
• “They absolutely hate NBA body types on this team…. like a my-15-year-old-nephew kind of gangly.” (47:48)

Nets Trivia Showdown: Andrew vs. Mike

Segment: 48:39–62:21

Highlights:

• Fun back-and-forth battle on Nets trivia: historic bad teams, player stats, hustle, "who’s scored 30?" and more.
• Notable stat: Nick Claxton leads the team in assists (3.8 per game).
• Teams without a player averaging 5+ assists: Nets, Wizards, and Magic.

Memorable Exchange:

• Alex: “Not a bad team at all? No, honestly, bad team.” (52:24) (re: 09-10 Nets roster)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s amazing, the player [Giddey]’s been since basically the Zach LaVine trade… For Bulls fans, that has to be really exciting.” — Alex (10:07)
• On Clippers: “Is this team just old and going to take some time… or is this team just old, like, done?” — Alex (21:14)
• On Magic: “I hate that I picked Jamal Mosley for coach of the year. He could be the first coach fired.” — Alex (19:52)
• On Keonte George: “If his three-point shot comes around… we’re talking about a star guard.” — Alex (29:09)
• On the Nets’ plan: “They honestly do not care. They didn’t construct this team for an identity. They constructed it to be bad.” — Mike Smelts (45:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |------------------------------------------------|-----------| | NBA weekly roundup/top stories | 02:10–06:37 | | Good, Bad, What: Giddey/Suns | 07:34–14:06 | | Good, Bad, What: Disappointing teams | 16:05–22:38 | | Good, Bad, What: Okongwu Magic quote/Keonte | 25:09–30:30 | | Nets “Wheel of Fandom” deep dive with Smelts | 33:11–48:33 | | Nets trivia showdown | 48:39–62:21 |

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, analytic—with equal enthusiasm for “stat-head” deep dives and lighthearted fandom.
• Gently self-deprecating about their own preseason predictions, quick to poke fun at struggling franchises, and always mixing in NBA lore and inside jokes.

Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers thoughtful breakdowns on young stars’ progress (Giddey, Keonte George), team expectations versus reality (Clippers aging, Magic stagnation), and what NBA fandom looks like when your team is built to be bad by design, sharply illustrated by the Nets’ current predicament. The trivia contest and signature blend of stats, history, and humor make it an enjoyable listen even for those not invested in the highlighted franchises.