The Athletic NBA Daily — Episode Summary

Episode Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Dave DeFore, Zena Keda, James Edwards, Jared Weiss
Theme:
A fast-paced recap of NBA opening night, focusing on the Knicks' victory over the Cavaliers and Victor Wembanyama’s stunning 40-point, 15-rebound performance for San Antonio.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into two headline stories from NBA opening night:

1. The debut of new Knicks coach Mike Brown and an impressive depth-driven win against the Cavaliers.
2. Victor Wembanyama’s historic 40-point outburst, highlighting his growth and the Spurs’ promising youth movement.
   The hosts provide insider analysis, breakdowns of key players and rotations, instant reactions, and locker-room-level insights.

1. Knicks Topple Cavs — Mike Brown’s Debut at MSG

(02:53 – 15:00)

Key Talking Points:

• Knicks win over Cavs in Mike Brown's coaching debut.
• Significant rotations and tactical changes as New York transitions from Tom Thibodeau’s style.
• Knicks depth and bench play stands out.
• Adjustments and learning curve under new leadership.

Notable Segments & Timestamps:

Stat of the Night

• [03:13]: James Edwards highlights Vijay Edgecombe’s 34 points for the Sixers—the third-most ever by a rookie in a debut.

Knicks’ Roster and Coaching Dynamics

• [03:43] Zena Keda:

  “There’s been a lot of hype going into this season. This team made the Eastern Conference finals last year. The only thing they did massive was change their coach... The Knicks played 11 guys within the first 13 minutes.”

• [04:51] Dave DeFore notes Knicks’ 35 bench points:

  “If they had anything close to that in the playoffs... they’re still down Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart.”

Bench Depth and Player Development

• [05:54] Zena Keda:

  “Some of these guys are still figuring out where their shots are coming from, right? Like, this is a completely different way of playing for Jalen Brunson... even today, I thought there was moments where he vanished in the game and other guys picked it up. But I think that's just part of the learning curve.”

• [07:42] Zena Keda (on Mike Brown’s early focus):

  “They were running off their philosophy and their spacing and their principles... And he wanted to do that and establish that before putting in plays.”

Backup Bigs and Rotational Strength

• [08:43] James Edwards on bigs:

  “Trey Jemison, you know, coming. He runs so fast up and down the court for a seven footer... Backup bigs is a luxury in this league.”

• [09:11] Zena Keda:

  “There were some real good defensive moments from Trey Jemison and even Huck Porty. I don’t think they looked overmatched... if you’re getting that much production from your depth, you’re going to play 11 guys a lot.”

Knicks vs. Cavs — Who Has the Edge?

• [10:45] Zena Keda:

  “Darius Garland, Max Strus, and DeAndre Hunter are a little bit more vital to how the Cavs want to play... But I mean, I think these are the two most talented teams in the East.”

Mitchell’s Third-Quarter Takeover

• [12:19] James Edwards:

  “Looking at Donovan Mitchell dropping 21 in one quarter... That’s where you’re really like, ooh, Josh Hart is very much missing.”

• [13:06] Zena Keda:

  “The Knicks look different in a lot of ways, but they don’t look different when it comes to the three point line... Teams are continuing to shoot well against them from three.”

Season Outlook for the Knicks

• [14:14] Dave DeFore:

  “Give me one adjustment you expect to see from the Knicks, not necessarily before game two, but over the course of the season.”

• [14:31] James Edwards:

  “Tyler Kolek, baby.”

Memorable Moment

• The playful chaos as the hosts try to predict the Knicks’ adjustment, highlighting preseason uncertainty and camaraderie.
  [14:26] Zena Keda:

  “I don’t know. I’m not gonna lie to you. I don’t know. I’m still in preseason mode. I don’t know.”

2. Wembanyama Explodes for 40 — A Generational Talent’s Arrival

(19:28 – 34:44)

Key Talking Points:

• Victor Wembanyama’s 40-point, 15-rebound, 3-block performance—a game with no turnovers in just 30 minutes.
• Immediate comparisons to basketball greats (LeBron, Shaq, Kareem, KD, Hakeem).
• Tangible year-over-year improvement, especially in patience and decision-making.
• How live-action, constraints-led off-season workouts unlocked new facets in Wemby’s game.
• Spurs’ backcourt depth and how new additions might alter the rotation.

Notable Segments & Timestamps:

Opening Reactions & Comparisons

• [20:00] Dave DeFore:

  “Victor Wembanyama. Not fair. 40 points, 15 rebounds. Somehow only three blocks. It felt like 50.”

• [20:22] Jared Weiss, in awe:

  “It’s like you ever walk out of a movie and you’re like, I can’t believe what I just saw. My entire life is rewritten. That’s the kind of feeling... Watching Wemby make Anthony Davis look like Mugsy Bogues on some of these drives, I was just like, what the hell am I watching?”

• [21:35] James Edwards:

  “It’s literally Kareem and Kevin decided to have a child. And then Kobe was like, hold on. Let me get my crossover and my mentality in there too. And then Hakeem Olajuwon was like, hold up, my defense wants to be a part of it.”

What’s Different This Year?

• [23:34] Jared Weiss (on Wemby's patience):

  “The patience, I think, is the biggest thing. Last year... he would have gotten a little bit of a look at a three and he would have just chucked it... Now, this is like the big thing that stars do; they start getting 10 free throws a game.”

• [24:11] Jared Weiss:

  “Forty points, fifteen rebounds, zero turnovers... the fourth player in all of the NBA in any game [to do that]. And he did that in 30 minutes.”

Wemby’s Stackable Brilliance

• [25:40] James Edwards:

  “The sheer beauty of big players like Victor is not just the agility and his mobility at this size... It’s the fact that he stacks plays... Like that four-point play, the pull up and-one three came after a monstrous block out on Derek Lively... it’s the continuation of the excellence.”

Behind Wemby’s Offseason Development

• [27:30] James Edwards:

  “It was the constraints points led approach... You are constantly making the reads in real time and it’s allowing you to translate that on the floor... You saw a difference between a player just doing reps... versus live action reps, being able to see that I have more options.”

Spurs Youth Movement & Rotation Questions

• [28:58] Jared Weiss (on De’Aaron Fox’s pending return and guard logjam):

  “They have about a week stretch here at home...then head out to Phoenix. I think they're hoping [Fox will] be back in time for that road trip.”

• [29:25] Jared Weiss:

  “Castle looked phenomenal. Like, he looks great in this game. This is one of the best games of his career and it's a complete afterthought because Wemby was so good...This team is going to be interesting this year because they're going to have three really explosive, hard working guards and someone... might surprisingly lose some opportunity because the other guys are just simply playing that well.”

Frontcourt Fit & Depth

• [31:41] Jared Weiss:

  “French Vanilla had a good start here. The Wemby-Luke pairing...they struggled initially because he got in foul trouble, but they had a decent feel. In the preseason, Cornette and Harper had a really good feel for pick and roll. Keldon Johnson... is the sixth or seventh man and he's great in that role.”

• [32:57] Jared Weiss:

  “Sohan is really good... there's just not a lot of room on this team because... they have so much depth on that team, all these questions you're hitting on—they have like 11 guys that can play.”

Immense Impact and Visual Dominance

• [33:44] Dave DeFore:

  “It's good to have options, and it's good to have a guy that makes it look like he's playing on a little Tykes hoop every single time he does something. That block on Derek Lively was one of the single most embarrassing NBA blocks of all time...It was insanely disrespectful.”

Memorable Quotes

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | | --------- | ----- | ------- | | 03:43 | “There’s a lot to like... Knicks played 11 guys within the first 13 minutes.” | Zena Keda | | 05:54 | “Some of these guys are still figuring out where their shots are coming from...It’s a completely different way of playing for Jalen Brunson.” | Zena Keda | | 20:22 | “You ever walk out of a movie and you’re like, I can’t believe what I just saw. My entire life is rewritten. That’s the kind of feeling...Watching Wemby make Anthony Davis look like Mugsy Bogues on some of these drives.” | Jared Weiss | | 21:35 | “It’s literally Kareem and Kevin decided to have a child. Then Kobe was like, hold on, let me get my crossover in there too. Then Hakeem said, hold up, let my defense be a part of it.” | James Edwards | | 23:34 | “It’s the patience... last year he wouldn’t have been so patient. Now... This is what stars do, they start getting 10 free throws a game.” | Jared Weiss | | 25:40 | "It’s the continuation of the excellence..." | James Edwards | | 33:44 | “That block on Derek Lively was one of the single most embarrassing NBA blocks of all time.” | Dave DeFore |

Takeaways & Analysis

• The Knicks look intent on deep rotation and team-oriented play under Mike Brown, with fresh tactical approaches and developing chemistry.
• Bench production was a clear positive in game one, but lingering questions about three-point defense and shot creation remain.
• Victor Wembanyama is making a seismic leap: not just filling the box score but impacting every facet of San Antonio’s success, showing new maturity and decision-making.
• The Spurs, with young stars and depth, are still sorting out roles but have a foundation that could surprise the league.

For the Busy NBA Fan

• Knicks: New coach, new style, instant depth—but questions remain about outside shooting defense.
• Spurs: Wembanyama has arrived—dominant, complete, and evolving. The young core is deeper and more skilled than ever.
• Both teams: Exciting, must-watch stories for the season ahead.

Full episode provides rewarding detail and chemistry — highly recommended for diehards and casuals alike.