KD passes MJ + Post All-Star Glow-ups

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily — March 23, 2026

Episode: KD passes MJ + Post All-Star Glow-ups
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Esfandiar Baraheni

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Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on Kevin Durant’s historic leap past Michael Jordan to become 5th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The crew also explores the energized post-All-Star runs by key teams, providing sharp analysis on surging squads like the Lakers, Thunder, Hawks, Celtics, and more. Lively, stats-packed debate breaks out over what’s real or fake in the current playoff races, and the hosts sprinkle in plenty of humor, candor, and inside perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kevin Durant Passes Michael Jordan on All-Time Scoring List

• KD climbs to 5th all-time in NBA points, passing Michael Jordan
  • “It’s sort of surreal, I think, when these guys pass a guy like Michael Jordan. Obviously with LeBron it’s become old hat, but… Kevin Durant… this is a new guy… getting into the upper echelons of NBA history in front of our eyes.” —Dave DuFour (04:17)
• Can KD climb even higher?
  • Hosts debate whether Durant, entering his age 38 season, could catch Kobe Bryant (1300+ points away for 4th) or even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6093 points away for 2nd).
    • “Can he do more for us as NBA fans and perhaps pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?” —Esfandiar (04:30)
    • “I mean, he’s been playing solidly this whole season for Houston… if he continues to be a focal point… he could technically do it.” —Zena (05:46)
  • Everyone agrees: Age, health, and role will be critical.
    • “I just don’t know how you can do that… when he’s 40. I just don’t see it. It would be unprecedented for me.” —Dave (06:23)

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2. Thunder & Nuggets: Post-Injury Glow-Ups

Oklahoma City Thunder Get Healthy

• Jalen Williams (“J-Dub”) returns, reinvigorating the Thunder.
  • “He’s the engine of everything that OKC does when it comes to crunch time… When all the attention gets sucked onto Shai Gilgeous-Alexander… you now have a release valve in Jalen Williams.” —Zena (08:30)
• The trio of Jalen Williams, SGA, and Chet Holmgren has played only 300 minutes together due to injuries, yet the team has a better net rating this season than last year’s championship run. (09:35)
• “Staying healthy is the big key for Jalen Williams moving forward. Not just being healthy.” —Esfandiar (10:17)

Denver Nuggets at Full Strength

• Peyton Watson’s return is seen as a major plus, both for his off-the-dribble offensive growth and his length on defense.
  • “He can switch 1 through 5. He gives you that length… David Adelman hasn’t really had that size to play with… Huge for Denver’s defense.” —Zena (11:40)
• The combination of Aaron Gordon and Payton Watson as weakside help for Jokic is praised as key to the Nuggets’ playoff prospects. (12:30)
• Surprise mention: San Antonio Spurs as a legit Western Conference contender.
  • “I would firmly put the Spurs in that category now too, as a team that can make it out of the Western Conference. No question.” —Esfandiar (13:02)

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3. Post-All Star Break Surge: Lakers, Hawks & Celtics

Los Angeles Lakers: A New Era

• Nine-game win streak, 13-4 since the break
• Luka Dončić: MVP-level play and team buy-in
  • “LeBron has bought in as this supercharged role player… he is working within the seams of the offense… It’s allowed him to play better defense. Truthfully.” —Esfandiar (17:52)
  • LeBron’s stat-line in Luka’s 60-point game: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists. (18:53)
  • “The vibes are great in LA right now.” —Zena (19:26)
• J.J. Redick’s impact as head coach—motivationally and schematically (lots of zone defense).
• Doncic’s post-All-Star stats: 35 pts, 8 rebs, 8 ast, 48% FG, 41% 3FG
  • “Luka is just a killer in crunch time… best winning percentage and the best offense in the clutch, by the numbers.” —Dave (23:01)
• Doncic breaks Lakers records for most 30-point triple-doubles (surpassing LeBron and Magic) and single-season three-point makes. (22:00)
• Smart, Ayton, Reeves praised for buying into roles and improving defense.

Atlanta Hawks: "Fake" or For Real?

• 13-2 since All-Star break; now 6th in the East
• Debate about whether their run is “fake” or real. Hosts give “flowers” for improvement.
• Nikhil Alexander-Walker: 21 pts, 51% FG, 45% 3FG post-All-Star. Major factor.
• Praise for Atlanta’s pivot to youth and athleticism:
  • “The combination of Jalen Johnson and Nikhil Alexander-Walker, Jonathan Kuminga, Okongwu… they run… they are making you tired and they’re throwing the ball around… leading the league right now after the break in assists.” —Zena (25:24)
• CJ McCollum’s veteran presence working well (“Didn’t expect it, but it works here.” —Dave, 26:40)
• Defensive backcourt of Nikhil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels applauded. (27:04)
• Cautious note: Tough closing schedule against top teams.

Boston Celtics: Quiet Powerhouse

• 12-5 since the break; 2 seed in East, just ahead of the Knicks
• Tatum’s return: Team is +14 per 100 possessions when on court (28:35)
  • “The Celtics have outscored opponents by 45 total points in his floor time… and he ain’t even shooting 30% from three!” —Zena (30:16)
• Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown lineup: +18 per 100 possessions (“That’s wild.” —Dave, 30:04)
• Hosts largely agree: Boston is the favorite to come out of the East, especially with Cade Cunningham’s injury for the Pistons.
• “They didn’t have to reinvent it… chemistry and continuity.” —Dave (31:41)
• Full-strength Thunder vs. Celtics soon—potential Finals preview.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• KD’s Longevity Debate
  “Can he do 25 points a game, you know, for three and a half more years?”
  —Dave DuFour (05:40)

• Thunder’s Core Trio
  “They've played 300 minutes together this season... the important part is they actually have a better net rating this year than last when they won a championship.”
  —Esfandiar (09:35)

• Lakers Buy-In
  “LeBron has bought in as this supercharged role player right now... It’s allowed him to play better defense. Truthfully.”
  —Esfandiar (17:52)

• Doncic Dominance
  “He’s just a killer in crunch time...best winning percentage in the clutch and the best offense in the clutch, by the numbers.”
  —Dave (23:01)

• Hawks’ Transformation
  “What we did not also realize was how much that team needed to pivot from Trae Young, how much they needed to fully buy in to the Jalen Johnson experience.”
  —Zena (25:24)

• Celtics’ Improved Depth
  “That 14 points per 100 possessions better when Jayson Tatum is on the court is huge… he still ain’t shooting 30% from three!”
  —Zena (30:16)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 02:00 | Intro & Main Topics Overview | | 04:17 | KD Passes Michael Jordan — What’s Next for KD? | | 08:30 | Thunder Get Jalen Williams Back — Ceiling for OKC? | | 11:40 | Peyton Watson Returns, Nuggets Health Check | | 13:02 | Spurs as Surprising Contenders | | 16:13 | Lakers’ Winning Streak, Luka's Post-All-Star Explosion | | 17:52 | LeBron’s Changing Role, Team Buy-In | | 22:00 | Doncic Smashing Lakers’ Franchise Records | | 23:13 | Hawks and Nikhil Alexander-Walker’s Breakout | | 25:24 | Atlanta’s Full Athletic Shift, Defense | | 27:04 | Hawks’ Upcoming Schedule, Defensive Focus | | 28:35 | Celtics’ Depth, Net Ratings, and Tatum Return | | 30:16 | Celtics’ Title Contender Credentials, Key Stats | | 31:41 | Finals Preview: Celtics-Thunder Full Strength |

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Energetic, insight-driven roundtable with a balance of analytics, player development narratives, and big-picture speculation.
• Hosts maintain humor and camaraderie (e.g., playful digs about who's “been there” on Boston, jokes about “fake” winning streaks).
• The NBA’s All-Star break marked a flashpoint for dramatic team glow-ups and reshuffling of the playoff races.
• The episode is especially engaging for fans who care about both statistical performance and intangible chemistry/building blocks.

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Summary:
This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily spotlights Kevin Durant’s historic scoring ascent and examines the post-All-Star resurgence of pivotal teams. The Lakers’ chemistry is thriving under Luka Doncic’s and LeBron’s leadership, while the Hawks and Celtics showcase post-break transformations. Injury returns in OKC and Denver reinforce their West contender status, and the hosts share why Boston is their current East favorite. If you want to understand the league’s stretch-run narratives and who could shake up the playoffs, this episode is essential listening.

Transcript

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[B]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon prime for March 23, 2026. I'm Dave Defor here with Esparah Henny and Zena kada. Coming up, KD passes MJ on the all time scoring list. JDub is back and we're going to talk about some of the teams that have been more impressive since the All Star. Good morning everybody. What's up guys? You guys watch college basketball all weekend or are you grinding NBA tape like I am?

[C]

A little.

[D]

I'm grinding NBA tape.

[A]

Truthfully, I. I think I'm a little bit more on the college women's college side. Let's just be real. That's right. Yeah. It's a little bit of both for me.

[B]

Yeah. Well, let's do a plug, by the way, for no off season. Yes, that is our. Our women's basketball podcast hosted by Xena Keda. So go and check that out. Anything crazy happen in the tournament over the weekend? Xena, like on the women's side?

[A]

I will just say this. The committee knows exactly what it's doing. Once it gets past the first round, you're not really going to get upsets on the women's side. But that four or five, those, those combinations have been some incredibly exciting, really tough matchups. Um, so, yeah, so now I would say the madness is really about to start on the women's side.

[D]

Zena, just a heads up, and this is not college related, I am going to bug you about tempo stuff in the coming months. I'm just.

[B]

There we go.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

I'm very excited.

[B]

Another favorite team.

[D]

What are you talking about? This is my job. I am impartial.

[B]

That's fair.

[A]

There you go. There you go. But yes, CBA agree to WNBA season is coming. So I think more than anything, March Madness is crazy. But that what's about to happen with the WNBA season, A draft.

[D]

Isn't there like 700 free agents?

[A]

Yes, yes. Pretty much 80% of all the vets.

[B]

Yeah, that's crazy.

[A]

Wide open. So that is really the March Madness that's about to happen, let's say.

[B]

Yeah, that's going to be fun. Anyway, guys, check out no off season because Xena works really hard on that. Guys, KD is now fifth all time on the score list. He does work hard. Puts in that work when he's not, you know, doing other things. He passed Michael Jordan for fifth all time. Which, you know, it's sort of surreal, I think, when these guys pass. A guy like Michael Jordan, obviously with LeBron has become old hat, but you know, Kevin Durant, I mean, this is a new guy who's kind of getting into the upper echelons of NBA history in front of our eyes.

[A]

I'm.

[D]

I'm kind of weirded out that I'm already looking ahead here and I'm like, can he do more, you know, can Kevin Durant do more for us as NBA fans and perhaps pass Kareem Abdul Jabbar?

[B]

Yeah, this is interesting, right? Because it's his age that is the problem. This is his year 37 season. He's going to turn 38 starting next year. Okay. How much more time does he have producing at this level, he. He puts up, what, 1700, 1800 points a season?

[D]

Yeah. Over the last couple seasons.

[B]

Yep. Okay, so he's 1350 points roughly behind Kobe Bryant for fourth.

[A]

That's one season.

[B]

That's right. So he should do that next year. I don't think we're going to see much of a drop off between this season and next season of KD, but 6093 points to catch Kareem for number two all time. Now, that is an interesting conversation, because by that math, s. It's what, three and a half more seasons?

[D]

About three and a half more healthy seasons is the thing. I would add healthy one more.

[A]

I would add productive seasons.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Healthy and productive for about three to four more years. It is. Definitely.

[B]

Can he do 25 points a game, you know, for three and a half more years?

[A]

I mean, he. He's now, throughout his career, KD has suffered an Achilles, he suffered a fractured leg. He's been able to come back and still play at the level that he's at. And I would say that this is probably, you know, he's been playing solidly this whole season for Houston in terms of health and things of that sort. So I think if he is able to. To continue on this trajectory, he could technically do it, especially if he continues to be a focal point in which a team is built around him to be able to score at that level.

[B]

I just don't know how you can do that. I don't know how. I don't know how you're doing it now when he's 37 years old, much less. What are you going to do this when he's 40? I just don't see it. It would be unprecedented for me.

[D]

I feel like it's one of those things where he feels like one of those guys that's going to play until he's 40.

[C]

Sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

So the. The avenue is there, the access is there for him to, like, play the amount of seasons. Because I think we probably all agree Steph lebron more likely to retire sooner than Kevin Durant.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

So there's. I don't know. I would say there's three and a half to four seasons left of what KD can play, maybe five if he really wants to push it. And then you have a window of, I don't know, five years, really, of him being able to score 6,000 points. I feel like it can be done, y'.

[A]

All.

[D]

And how could. How cool would it be, so seriously, for it to be LeBron and Kevin Durant at the Top of the all time scoring, you know, all time points forever. Because I don't think anybody's really catching up to those guys either. Right.

[B]

I don't think anyone's going to be able to catch LeBron.

[A]

11,000 is a different planet.

[B]

Yeah. No KD would have to score 11,000 points. So basically like this conversation that we're having when he's 45.

[D]

No. Yeah. It's kind of the thing everybody did with the Kobe and Wilt scoring thing where it's like nobody's catching Wilt. So is anybody going to catch Kobe?

[C]

81.

[A]

80.

[D]

Bam. Out of bio.

[A]

Got.

[B]

That's right, 83. Hey, speaking of catching up, Oklahoma City Thunder catching up on health finally. They're going to be at full strength. Psych. Because A.J. mitchell got suspended for the game tonight against the Sixers. So they're almost at full strength. But J Dub coming back for the Thunder, barely played this year. When he was out there, he didn't look like himself. I mean, clearly was. I think he was struggling with the wrist. You know, you'd see him often on the sidelines flexing his arm and kind of wrapping his arm in a towel. But I'm thinking about this in a similar way that I'm thinking about Jason Tatum coming back for the Boston Celtics. This is, this is an injection of an all NBA level player into your team a month before the playoffs.

[A]

Jalen Williams has been, when he's available for them, he is the engine of everything that OKC does when it comes to the crunch time. Of course, we know Shay Galaxander can put up crunch numbers, et cetera. They have been phenomenal this year without him, which tells you just how deep OKC is. But when all of the attention gets sucked onto Shay Gildas Alexander, because we know that he could put up those crunch numbers. You now have a release valve in Jalen Williams. He has kind of like a co pilot, you know, like they could land this plane together finally, rather than Shay having to put it on his back. And I think that this completely changes the way that OKC can think about a playoff series. And. And what their ceiling is going up against a team like Denver.

[D]

How many minutes do you guys think all three of Jalen Williams, SGA and Chat Holmgren have played this season? Want to give me a guess?

[A]

23.

[D]

That's crazy. 23 minutes is insane.

[A]

I'm being egregious because I want you to give me the answer. Come on.

[C]

Fair enough.

[D]

Fair enough. Okay. They've played 300 minutes together this season. To compare it, last season they played 700 minutes, so basically half as much time as they had last year. And I think the important part to this, the thing I want to note is they actually have a better net rating this season compared to last season when they won a championship when all three of those guys are on the floor. So to your point, Dave, to your point, Xena, adding this all NBA player, adding this all defense level player is obviously going to elevate everything OKC does. The one thing you have to keep in mind here is that he's coming from a weird injury. Hamstring injuries are very finicky and we've seen him already like re hurt re injure that hamstring. Staying healthy is the big key for Jalen Williams moving forward. Not just being healthy.

[B]

You know, it's tough with the style of play that, that he has too. Right. Like so physical and, and constantly going full effort on defense.

[A]

Explosive.

[B]

Peyton Watson back for the Nuggets yesterday. The Nuggets look good against the Trailblazers that are not a bad team. But I thought Peyton Watson, you know, the role that we're going to see him in, I think we are already seeing him game one, first game back. Because you know, we talked about how he found so much of this off the dribble game that we didn't know he had, you know, when they, when the Nuggets were shorthanded. Yeah, it looks like he's going to be essentially the backup to Jamal Murray and be involved in a lot of two man game with, with Jokic. I mean this. Between this and, and what he's going to bring on the defensive end. We're now seeing the two teams that I think the three of us felt were the favorites, you know, the, the best two teams in the west coming into the season. Whether that's what it is now or not, I don't know. But they're finally, for the first time all year we're going to see him at full health. So I mean, I'm wondering you guys feel the same about Denver right now as you do with okc where it's like hey okc, they're their powerhouse, their full strength. I mean you guys expect Denver to look good here down the stretch, like dominant even.

[A]

I don't put it past them. I still don't think I've seen enough consistency out of what Cam Johnson is supposed to provide for Denver for me to be able to say it in this, to compare it to okc where pretty much everyone with OKC has been Consistent to what you expect them to have or be. And you add in Jared McCain who's been great for them as well. I think it's great that Peyton Watson is back, not only just from an offensive perspective. He's great on the like, great off the bounce, but defensively, that's really where I'm thinking. He can raise the nugget ceiling, like he can switch one through five. He is long. He gives you that length that you need on the wing. And David Adelman hasn't really had that size to play with, you know, consistently on the defensive end. So I really think that that's going to be huge for Denver's defense to get healthy right now.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, both Aaron Gordon and Pton Watson are so important to the weak side help for Jokic and they've, they've bailed him out so many times when they're healthy this season of like, YIC is going to blow coverage. Boom. Payton Watson is there or Aaron Gordon is there to cover them. And so they need that in the final stretch of the season. They need that for the playoffs. And he, it's obvious what he can provide as a role player. To me, what's exciting to your point, Dave, is like that shot creation. Do they have another level that they can get to with what Peyton. Peyton Watson has? Also worth mentioning San Antonio Spurs. You know, I just feel like we have to mention that name because we brought up Denver, we brought up okc. I would firmly put the spurs in that category now too, as a team that can make it out of the Western Conference. No question.

[B]

Yeah, we just didn't. I don't think we saw the spurs coming.

[D]

I agree with you.

[B]

Right. They're a year early to me and incredibly so. Anyway, guys, stick around after the break. We're going to talk about some of the teams that have been impressive since the All Star break.

[A]

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[B]

Guys, the Lakers have won nine in a row thanks to a Luke Canard buzzer beater against the Magic over the weekend.

[D]

No thanks to Paulo Bankero blowing the coverage twice. That's okay.

[B]

I mean, Luke Canard hit the shot. We want to celebrate.

[D]

I just wanted to throw that little dig in there, you know. It's all good.

[A]

The Lakers came back to get the burst block.

[D]

He did.

[A]

Yeah, let's give him that credit.

[D]

You're right.

[B]

You're right.

[D]

I'm sorry.

[B]

Hater as hater.

[A]

It was right there.

[D]

It was right there. I had to do it.

[B]

Well, the Lakers, they keep winning. All right. Nine game winning streak. Thirteen and four since the All Star break. Luka Doncic has his 16th technical rescinded again. This is. This has Happened quite a few times. I actually did a little digging. You know, he's had 15 technicals four times in his career already.

[D]

Not surprised.

[B]

Very impressive to never have gotten 16. I, it's amazing how that happens. I'm just, you know, they just keep

[D]

rescinding it whenever it gets to 16.

[B]

I mean, listen, I'm not a fan of technicals. I actually think that the way that they, that they're handled is so arbitrary and it's, you know, it's, it's kind of silly. But it does seem like that 16 game rule is also, or 16 technical rule is also a little arbitrary. But it's fine with me. I'd rather see Luca play, especially because he's been playing at an MVP level y all season long. And now since the break especially, I think that we're seeing the results of, of just the chemistry that they've built all year. Finally getting healthy, deandre Ayton coming around and becoming a reliable role player for this team is something that I don't think any of us saw two months ago. What do you guys think about the Lakers?

[D]

Man, I love it. Yeah, absolutely. I love it. I mean, look, they are top five offense right now and they are firing on all cylinders. To your point about buy in, I kind of want to commend LeBron James for buying in too because he is fitting in as this supercharged role player right now where he, his, his role is completely changed. You think about LeBron James. For the first 22 years of his career, he is an on ball creator. A guy who's basically facilitating the offense for whatever team he's running. He no longer is that for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is working within the seams of the offense as a cutter, as a screener, working off of Luca, working off of Austin Reeves. It's allowed him to play better defense. Truthful. Truthfully. So when you get that level of buy in from one of the greatest players of all time, of course that trickle down effect is going to happen to everybody else on the roster. And I don't know, I feel like that is a big part of why this thing is working out right now.

[A]

I mean, it's crazy to think that in that 60 point Luca game that we all were lauding and applauding and all the above, LeBron had a triple double. Yeah, he had 19 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists. Like he has fully slid into the co star role and that's perfectly fine with him. He's, he's roving around behind the back line of the Defense, he's popping out and spacing out, allowing for Luka to take over. And I think that that's a really big factor of this. But yeah, the Lakers overall nine game winning streak that they're on as well right now, which is amazing. You see Luke Canard hit that buzzer beater against or the Orlando Magic and you see the entire bench clear to get to the floor to celebrate him. You would have thought that was a March Madness game the way that they were, you know, celebrating and jumping up and down like the vibes are great in LA right now. They're winning. Everybody knows their role, everybody's excited about playing their role. You're seeing folks diving on the ground. I mean, I think Marcus Smart, I don't want to underestimate what he, his role, I think in his presence from a perspective has just given them a little bit of an edge from a defensive. They are swarmers now. They are swarmers. We can rewind the tape, Dave. When we were talking about apathy, when we were talking about are they awake? And we could. I mean it's completely different. It's a completely different team. It looks like it's amazing to watch the lakers right now.

[B]

J.J. redick has done I, I think a pretty admirable job from a just motivational standpoint, but also schematic changes that they have made to their defense. They've been running so much zone and it's smart for them. You know, they don't have this, these great on ball defenders they do have, you know, like LeBron, Luca, they're, they're guys you're going to have to think about scheming around. Not so much LeBron as Luca. Austin Reeves tries hard, but you know, he's not a great defender. Marcus Smart. And then somehow again the, the energy that they're getting out of deandre Ayton, especially at the end of games, I mean it's just been, it's been pretty impressive. J.J. redick's a good coach. I mean, I, I just think when you look at what he's done so far, he's a very good coach and he's coached this team up and look,

[D]

I, I don't want to finish this Lakers conversation without giving Luca Doncic his due credit because, I mean.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. We have to build up to it. You're right.

[D]

Okay. A little. Oh, I see you with the first act, second act, third act, little movie.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Luca post all star break in their 17 games is averaging 35 points, eight rebounds, eight assists. He's doing it on 48% shooting from the field, 41% from three, five made threes a game. He's been on fire and by the way, like he's been leading the league in scoring all season. Not just post all star break. So that scoring volume, what he's doing usage wise, like obviously he's creating a lot of offense for the Lakers and that's what Luka Doncic does for his team. But for him to be at this level at this point in the season I think is a big testament to, you know, how the Lakers are prioritizing a Luka Doncic led offense as well.

[A]

You know, this is also the transition to the Luka Laker era, right? And the history that he's already making. Like he set the Lakers franchise records for the most 30 point triple doubles in a season single season with seven that surpasses LeBron and Magic.

[D]

That's crazy.

[A]

You think about the Lakers, obviously you think Magic Johnson as the helm of that in another generation it's LeBron James and now it's like, oh, Luka is at the top of that list of those type of things, right? He's also set the team single season record for most made three pointers. This isn't one season removed from him coming to the Lakers. Like so he's already establishing himself within the, I call it not La La Land, but like Luca Land of the Lakers. And that's another aspect of it is everyone's bought in to this is his team. And the schematic aspect that Dave, you're mentioning, I agree with you not only from a defensive perspective, but particularly from an offensive perspective. The way they get into their sets, the way they operate has him at the focal point of it and it

[B]

helps tremendous all the all of that. And then he is just a killer in crunch time. He is just one of the more reliable ball handlers and shooters in crunch time. I mean, I mean they have like

[D]

the best winning percentage in the clutch and the best offense in the clutch, but by the numbers.

[B]

And it's because of one guy. All right, the Atlanta Hawks guys, I just do not understand how they continue to win. S called their winning streak fake and it has faked them all the way into the sixth seed. They're 13 and two since the all Star break. What do you have to say for yourself here?

[D]

Look, I apologized already after they beat the Orlando Magic. I'm coming back to say it's fake again. Okay? I'm sorry, it's fake again. No, look, I will give them their flowers. They are figuring things out. I also wanted to mention real quick.

[A]

Quick.

[D]

A guy that we've been on all season by the way, is h is playing some absurd basketball. Post allstar break Nikhil Alexander Walker, okay Post All Star break is averaging 21 points on 51% shooting from the field, 45% on threes. He is not like lights out from three post All Star break just doesn't miss at all. And so that's a guy that I think is a big part of what the Hawks are building. Also was a massive signing for them this summer regardless of the Trae Young situation and where this team was supposed to be headed. He's. He's now a focal point for their offense, which is kind of crazy to say given what we thought of what Nikhil Alexander Walker was before the season. Right. Role player type.

[A]

Now we knew that we saw Nikhil Alexander Walker in Minnesota. We saw him be incredibly athletic and handle his business as a three and D guy and as a secondary option beside Aunt Edwards. And so all of us, at least in this pod were like, yeah, that's crazy. Atlanta is just about to have a glow up right now with Nikhil Alexander Walker. What we did not also realize was how much that team needed to pivot from Trae Young, how much they needed to fully buy in to the Jalen Johnson experience. And with that that really means buying in to the young athletic long team that they are because the combination of Jalen Johnson and Nikhil Alexander Walker and then you can go through the rest of this team that are not as good producers as this team but they run, they run so much. They run so well. And that's when you're what you're seeing in this win streak is being able seeing this team basically run teams down and Nikhil Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kaminga, a Kong Woo like you name long athletic player and they're just putting up more shots per game. They're putting up more opportunities per game. They're making you tired and they're throwing the ball around the court perfectly. They're leading this team the the league right now after the break in assists and it's led to the third best point differential in the league over the stretch that they've had post all star break. So their, their defense is there, their offense is clicking and it's all because they're young, fast and everything. Which S and Dave, I'm I'd love to hear your thoughts on how great CJ McCollum has been awesome on this young team.

[B]

I I had low expectations of the CJ McCollum move because, you know, he's a veteran guard. He was going to be coming off the bench for them, but he's basically doing what he was doing for the Wizards, which made them trade him. Like they had to get CJ McCollum off the Wizards because he was too good. And so that's why I thought it

[A]

wasn't going to work, because they had a young athletic team in Washington and it didn't work. But it's working here. I don't get it.

[B]

I think that there's a. The big thing is that Atlanta is trying to win and that Wizards just didn't want to do it. And so when you add a guy like C.J. mcCollum who was having a good season, I think it makes a lot of sense for them. The biggest thing, though, this defense with Nikhil Alexander Walker and Dyson Daniels.

[A]

Yep. Oh, that's Dyson Daniels.

[B]

Yeah, that is something. And so.

[A]

And Dyson Daniels has gotten better offensively. We knew he was the glue defensively, but he's even finding his own shot. He still can't shoot from three to save his life, but he's getting. He's getting buckets where he can find.

[B]

Bless his heart.

[D]

I will say they. They have a tough schedule moving forward. So they play the Celtics a couple times. They play the Cavs a couple times. They play the Knicks, they play the Heat. I'm very excited to see how this

[B]

new world, this March basketball is okay. All right, y'. All. Atlanta, y' all hear him? The Celtics guys. It's a weird time to pick the Celtics on this because, you know, they just dropped a bad one to the Timberwolves yesterday at home without the Edwards.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It was the first time in 20 years, 21 years.

[D]

Kevin Garnett. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Since the Wolves beat Boston in Boston, which is an absurd stat. Yes. But guys, look, The Celtics are 12 and five since the break. They're still the two seed. Although as we sit here right now, they only have a half game lead over the Knicks. I do not believe that they're going to catch the Pistons for the one seed, but they're in a fight for two with. With the Knicks. Tatum continues to look pretty good in the comeback. They're deep. We. We like this team, I think better than last year. Their big man rotation is so much better. You guys, what do you think? Is. Is this more like, are we seeing the Celtics become title contender? Not just, you know, they're going to have, you know, maybe they make it to the conference finals.

[D]

Yeah, especially with the Cade Cunningham injury, which we genuinely don't know when he's going to come back. And I hope Cade does come back. He's. He's obviously having an incredible season and, like, it would really, really suck if that's the way his season ends. Hopefully he's okay. But with that injury now, I think the Celtics are the favorites to come out of the east just because Jason Tatum exists. And in the 200 minutes that he's played with the Celtics this season, the Celtics have a plus 14 net rating. So they are dominating teams, and they're dominating teams in a way that's like championship contender level. So I know they lost to the Timberwolves on Sunday, and it was Bones Highland bonanza. It was a really fun Bones island game for Timberwolves fans. But I just. I think of all the teams in the eastern Eastern conference that you can pick and that you can trust. And by the way, I know the Knicks are playing some better basketball recently. I trust the Celtics more than anybody else in the east. And especially with this Cade injury, it's hard not to continue trusting the Celtics.

[A]

I'm going to put my s hat on and pull out some additional facts. That 14 points per 100 possessions better when Jayson Tatum is on the court is huge. When you particularly put on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the court, which we know Jaylen Brown's already having an MVP caliber season, you put those two together on the floor in just 94 minutes of floor time shared, they are almost 18 points better per 100%.

[D]

That's wild.

[A]

That's huge. The Celtics have outscored their opponents by 45 total points. In his four time this season. He ain't even shooting 30% from three.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like, he's still taking some time to get the rust off. And that's already. You know, he's the one that said it. He said it felt like old times, right. Playing with this guy Brown. And so that is what I'm counting on. Feeling like old times. Oh, yeah. Old times. The Celtics that won a championship. Old times. That feels familiar. So, yeah, I already think. I mean, I think I thought that even before early in this season that Boston was coming out the east. And I feel very assured in that now we're gonna. With the loss yesterday even, we're gonna

[B]

hopefully get to see full strength Thunder. Full strength Celtics Thursday.

[D]

Oh, I thought you were gonna say in the finals.

[A]

I thought you were making.

[B]

I thought you were gonna make a pick. Okay. I'm Saying this. This week we're gonna get, you know, another one of these finals previews and. And it looks like they're both teams are going to be at full strength. I'm excited to see how the Celtics stack up against the Thunder. When everybody's out there, I just want to see it. I do believe there's some questions that need to be answered. I mean, Jason Tatum's shooting is going to have to come around by the time the playoffs happen, but they look so good and he fit in perfectly. It wasn't. They didn't have to make any changes to add them into what they were doing. I think that that is one of the bigger things. This was. This was literally just putting a piece onto this machine.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

They didn't have to reinvent it. And so I think that that kind of stuff, the chemistry and the continuity that they already have, I don't know. I'm not ready to just say that the Celtics are making the Finals like

[D]

S's, but I just, I. I feel I trust them more than anybody else,

[A]

you know, like S is. I've been telling you that since I don't even know what. What are we talking about right now?

[D]

No, no, it's okay.

[B]

It's okay. I'll be the. To prediction time. You know, I mean, guys, we. We've only got like 10 games left, you know, in the season, so we're getting close to prediction time. And I. I'm closer and closer to feeling like the Celtics are the favorites.

[D]

I'm there. Xena's been there for two months.

[A]

You know, I mean, listen, I've been there since November. I ain't gonna lie. Because Jaylen Brown, you cannot deny him. You just can't.

[D]

Yeah, he's been great.

[B]

All right, guys, let us know how you feel about the Celtics. Are they the favorites come out of the East? What about the Lakers? Do they have any chance actually of beating the spurs or the Thunder? I don't know. Luka Donch is pretty incredible. Yeah. Yeah. Let us know. For Xena Keda and Esper Henny, I'm Dave Dufour. 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.

[E]

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