LeBron James makes season debut + Pistons win 10th straight

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – November 19, 2025

Episode Title: LeBron James makes season debut + Pistons win 10th straight
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Esfandiar Baraheni (referred to as Esperaheni)
Guest: Jared Weiss

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Episode Overview

This episode breaks down a jam-packed night in the NBA, highlighted by LeBron James’s return to action in his 23rd season, the Detroit Pistons winning their 10th straight game, and the San Antonio Spurs pulling off a gutsy win without Victor Wembanyama. The conversation delves into game analysis, player performances, team trajectories, and notable NBA trends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. LeBron James’s Season Debut & the Revitalized Lakers

Segment Start: 02:48

• LeBron’s Performance & Impact

  • LeBron returned to play for the Lakers, marking his 23rd season in the league.
  • “He had 11 points, had 12 assist, only one turnover...but really, I think the big thing is, especially that fourth quarter, he was dealing and the Lakers were running.” (Esperaheni, 04:02)
  • The Lakers noticeably increased their pace, running more in transition—18% of their plays, up 5% from their usual rate.
    • “LeBron was making them play a lot faster, especially in that second half when he finally got his legs under him.” (Dave DuFour, 04:38)
  • Showed chemistry with teammates: found Gabe Vincent for a corner three, worked well with DeAndre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.

• Fit with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves

  • Luka Doncic had another standout night: 37 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.
  • LeBron and Luka can form complementary lineups, with LeBron as a finisher and Luka as a creator.
  • Early signs suggest Austin Reaves will continue his development without being held back by the return of LeBron.

• Concerns & Challenges

  • Defensive lapses persist—Keonte George and Lauri Markkanen “cooked” the Lakers’ defense.
  • “My question for them moving forward is: how do they find enough defensive talent?” (Dave DuFour, 07:12)

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2. Utah Jazz Surprises & Keonte George’s Emergence

Segment Embedded: 07:40

• Keonte George’s Breakout Game

  • George scored 33 points (5-of-13 3PT), showing surprising craft and shot-making.
  • “He kind of went off in this game...He’s not a great three-point shooter, but he’s letting them fly.” (Esperaheni, 07:41)
  • Jazz praised for their offensive scheme, with George and Markkanen acting as passing hubs.

• Bright Spots Amidst a Building Year

  • Jazz move to 5-8, appear competitive despite low expectations for the season.
  • George’s playmaking and developing mid-range game noted as key for his growth trajectory.

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3. Detroit Pistons’ 10-Game Winning Streak & Player Development

Segment Start: 09:38

• Franchise Milestone

  • Pistons now 13–2, best start since 2005–06 and 1990–91.
  • “They’ve won 10 straight. When was the last time they were 13 and 2? ...the 2005, 2006 season.” (Dave DuFour, 10:04)

• Cade Cunningham’s Leadership

  • 25 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds in the latest win.
  • Showed strength and skill, especially finishing through contact.
  • Defensive versatility allows double-guard lineups: “One of the things with Cade, people underrate how good of a defender he is...He moves his feet, really good rim protector for his size.” (Dave DuFour, 11:11)

• Jalen Duren’s Leap

  • Averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds on 72% true shooting; elite rim protection.
  • “He looks like the shoo-in to be the Most Improved Player right now.” (Dave DuFour, 11:51)
  • Not just finishing—showing creation from the perimeter and midrange.

• Roster Building & Trade Scenarios

  • Speculation on trading for Lauri Markkanen to push Pistons into the Finals.
  • Pistons praised for their depth, assets, and flexibility: “They can make a trade and still have some flexibility to move without it.” (Dave DuFour, 13:40)

• Eastern Conference Landscape

  • With injuries affecting contenders like the Cavs and Knicks, the door is open for aggressive moves.
  • “This is a year where teams are going to take a swing. It’s open. Why not?” (Esperaheni, 14:24)

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4. Spurs Get a Gritty Win Sans Wembanyama

Segment Start: 19:13 with Jared Weiss

• Victory Over the Grizzlies Without Key Players

  • Spurs missing Victor Wembanyama, Stefan Castle, Dylan Harper, and coach Gregg Popovich.
  • “This game felt like it was mostly the Spurs trying to wrestle Zach Edie...this was the Spurs defense showing that they have an identity beyond Victor.” (Jared Weiss, 19:57)

• Role Players Stepping Up

  • Luke Kornet “did a pretty good job on Edie”—despite Edie’s physicality.
  • Spurs finished on an 11–0 run led by Darren Fox and saw impressive late-game defense.
  • “If Kornett wasn’t out there doing his thing, Edie would have had like a 25–12 game and he would have beaten them.” (Jared Weiss, 21:10)

• Offensive Execution

  • Harrison Barnes assumed the closer role, scoring a key solo 9–0 run late.
  • “Harrison Barnes, AKA the closer, he was awesome to finish out this game.” (Dave DuFour, 21:42)
  • Barnes’s rapid decision-making (“point five” basketball) praised as veteran glue.

• Spurs’ Resilience Despite Injuries

  • Team shown to be deep and adaptive: “They have one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and we saw that in this game where they’re down half their rotation almost.” (Jared Weiss, 28:11)
  • Wembanyama’s calf strain likely requires load management; Kornet and Olynyk signings paying off.
  • Organization’s ultra-cautious approach with injuries ridiculed, but respected: “They see like a tiny little speck on the MRI; they’re like, shut it down. All the alarms go off.” (Jared Weiss, 28:34)
  • Wemby’s maturity, deliberateness, and press handling compared to stars like LeBron and Kobe.

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5. The Memphis Grizzlies’ Challenges

Embedded: 24:15

• Point Guard Shortage & Execution Issues
  • Grizzlies “really devoid of point guard play” with Ja Morant out.
  • Lapses after time-outs point to systemic issues.
  • “You can’t go into a huddle, draw up a play, come out of it, and then not run that play. Like, that’s a coach’s nightmare right there...that’s a really bad sign.” (Jared Weiss, 24:55)
  • Cedric Howard emerging as a bright spot amidst transition.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• LeBron’s Return Perspective:
  “He made his debut October 29, 2003. That’s so long ago...23 years later. LeBron James, by the way, looked great physically.”
  — Esperaheni (03:26)

• On Jalen Duren’s Growth:
  “He looks like an All-Star this year...That’s elite. He looks like an all star this year.”
  — Dave DuFour (12:35)

• On Harrison Barnes’s Veteran Role:
  “What are you talking about? He’s the glue. Like, he’s the one reliable veteran on this team...”
  — Jared Weiss (23:15)

• Wemby’s Poise with the Media:
  “He makes really good eye contact...he seems to get kind of lost in his answers, like he’s on an adventure to hear what he has to say. He really takes everything he does incredibly seriously.”
  — Jared Weiss (30:17)

• Spurs’ Approach to Injury Management:
  “They see like a tiny little speck on the MRI, they're like, shut it down, all the alarms in the building start going off...”
  — Jared Weiss (28:34)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• LeBron & Lakers Discussion: 02:48 – 07:40
• Utah Jazz & Keonte George: 07:40 – 09:38
• Pistons 10th Straight Win: 09:38 – 15:14
• Trade Market/Eastern Conference Landscape: 13:08 – 15:14
• Spurs’ Shorthanded Win/Grizzlies Struggles: 19:13 – 26:08
• Spurs Injury Update & Wemby Discussion: 26:08 – 31:50

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Tone & Style

The tone is conversational, lively, slightly irreverent, and packed with basketball insight, player assessments, and light jokes. The panel’s friendly banter and basketball expertise make for a smooth, engaging summary of the night’s most important NBA developments.

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Recommended for:
Basketball fans wanting a concise, insightful, and entertaining rundown of recent NBA highlights, player progress, and team outlooks, without needing to catch every game or listen to the full podcast.

Transcript

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[Dave DuFour]

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[Esperaheni]

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[Andrew Schlecht]

Hey, Andrew Schlecht here. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another great Emirates NBA cup doubleheader. The night starts with Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers meeting Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And and then it's down to Texas as Nicole Jokic and the Denver Nuggets get their first look at Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial and get started today. Remember, it's the Pacers and Cavs, the Nuggets and Rockets. If you are a hoops head at all, you're going to be locked in to Nuggets, Rockets. These are two of the best teams in the Western Conference. Two teams that should be vying for the Western Conference finals. Both fan bases should be disappointed if that's not where they get. And we get our first look on prime at this big time matchup. Coverage starts Friday at 6:30 Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

[Esperaheni]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for November 19, 2025. I'm Dave Defor here with Esperaheni. Coming up, LeBron is back and the Lakers look better. The Pistons win again and we've got Jared Weiss here to talk about Victor women. Yama missing some time and the spurs picking up a win. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. S Another big night in the N B A. How's it going, buddy?

[Dave DuFour]

Yeah, I'm good, man.

[Esperaheni]

Good.

[Dave DuFour]

Look, I AM Good because LeBron James is back and playing basketball year 23 for number 23, you know.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, he is back. He made his debut October 29, 2003. Just to put that in perspective, that means absurd. That's so long ago. So 23 years later. LeBron James, by the way, look great physically.

[Dave DuFour]

What were you doing in October 2003?

[Esperaheni]

You know what? I was, I was doing some professional wrestling stuff for sure, 100% for sure. Play fighting with my buddies. Yeah, definitely.

[Dave DuFour]

I was probably, I was probably learning division.

[Esperaheni]

All right, this is now gotten disrespectful. Okay, speaking of. All right, so LeBron. LeBron looked great. He, he had 11 points, had 12 assist, only one turnover, hit a couple shots. But, but really, as I think the big thing is, especially that fourth quarter, he was dealing and the Lakers were running. And this is actually something that has been a, an issue for them early on. They are not getting into transition. They're not scoring fast break points. They move slow and methodically and this gives them a little bit of lightning to all that thunder.

[Dave DuFour]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, they got out in transition 18% tonight, which is, I believe, 5% more than they usually do. I know it's not a crazy improvement, which is whatever, but yeah, LeBron was making them play a lot faster, especially in that second half when he finally got his legs under him, you could see he was pushing it in transition. Found gate, found game.

[Esperaheni]

Vincent, his baby lungs, you know, woke up.

[Dave DuFour]

Yeah, exactly. He found Gabe Vincent for a corner three. He was finding DeAndre Ayton on the roll a couple times and then event. Eventually I thought he, he like established himself as a post presence for them, working to find cutters. He found Jake Laravi on a couple of really, really nice cuts. This is the LeBron that they can have. And now the Lakers can play with different lineups, right? And they did this last year, but they can have LeBron and Austin Reeves kind of carry one lineup, have its own identity, and then they can have Luka Doncic who can carry a lineup by himself. I mean, Luca was absurd in this game as well. Ended with 37 points, 10 assists, five rebounds. And it, it didn't seem like he broke a sweat at any point in this game, you know.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, you left out the four steals for Luca, by the way. Just going to throw that out there because he, he was playing some defense, locking up defensively. Yeah, yeah. Lucas had this ridiculous start. The, the conversation around the Lakers and especially with LeBron coming back has been how does LeBron fit? You know, does LeBron fit? You've got Luca doing what he's doing. Austin Reeves taking this leap. Does it hold him back? I think the way that we saw them sort of use them tonight and it's early like this is game one and, and LeBron's not back to full strength yet, but I do think that this is a way that, that he's going to be super effective for them, similar to last year, but with Austin Reeves maybe taking on a little bit more of the, the on ball role.

[Dave DuFour]

Yeah, yeah. And look, I think there is a world in which LeBron can play two different versions of himself, right? With Luca, he's the play finisher. He's the guy working within the seams of the offense in the short roll area. Maybe he can be a better defensive player when it's Luka on the floor creating everything so he can be the backline help defensively. I thought truthfully, especially in the first half, he did not look good defensively, but that's expected for a guy, you know, kind of getting his legs under him in the second half. He was causing deflections, you know, working. He got a steal in transition that was really nice. So he started to figure out how he could impact the game defensively. I mean, this is a guy who ended up top 10 in MVP voting last year, was a second team all NBA member. This is LeBron James we're talking about. He's going to figure it out and he's going to figure out how he has to play on this team. And my Question for them moving forward is like, how do they find enough defensive talent? Because Keante George cooked them. Yeah, Larry Markin cooked them. And that's going to be a problem moving forward. Like, I think the Lakers offense looks great, but defense is a question.

[Esperaheni]

Okay, but let's talk about the Jazz for just a second because I know you. You're saying this is a defensive problem for the Lakers, but truthfully, Keonte George was cooking Lowry Markin, like we've seen him cook. Talk about Keonte especially though, because, I mean, he kind of went off in this game 33 points, 5 of 13 from 3. He's not a great three point shooter, but he's letting them fly early on in the season. The, the Jazz have kind of surprised us a little bit with how competitive they've been. They fell to 5 and 8. Like, we don't expect them to do much. They're not going to be good. They. They probably don't want to be yet. But like, Keante George has kind of been a bright spot.

[Dave DuFour]

Yeah, he has been. And look, I actually love the way the Jazz play offensively. I mean, they work really well at finding cutters moving without the ball. Lowry Markkanen is elite at this, but I think Keonte George has really leaned in on that aspect too. He's gotten more comfortable over the years working and picking roles. I saw a lot of people on Twitter today saying that he kind of looked like Dame out there, but that's sort of the, that's sort of the mold he wants to eventually get to. Still a long way to go as a three point shooter, as a guy who can like initiate offense for you, but to your point. Yeah, the Jazz are figuring things out and I think a lot of that has to do with the offensive scheme that they're running with Nurkic and Lowry Markin and those guys as like passing hubs in that free throw line extended area, which looks really fun.

[Esperaheni]

It helps to have some professional basketball players on your team. Also with Keante George, his, his shot from the mid range looks great and that's going to create open looks from three for him because teams are going to, they're going to have to sag off a little bit. Yeah, I'm actually, I'm. I'm surprised by what I've seen so.

[Dave DuFour]

Far because I was pretty low buying some Keante stock.

[Esperaheni]

I am, I am. Yeah. Yeah, he's looking a little crafty even. I'll say. Not.

[Dave DuFour]

Not shooty hoopsie, not shooty hoopsy hoops.

[Esperaheni]

Not shooty hoopsie. These are not empty calorie stats that, that he's putting up. Okay. I think, I think, you know, he might be a Hooper. Speaking of Hoopers, hey, man, Detroit Pistons. You were early on. A mess. Now, I'm going to give you credit. You were early on them last year. You told me they were the team to watch. Well, now they really are. They've won 10 straight. They moved to 13 and 2. When was the last time they were.

[Dave DuFour]

13 and 2s, man, the 2005, 2006 season and before that the 1990, 1991 season. They didn't win the championship in either of those years, but I believe in 0506 they made it to the conference finals.

[Esperaheni]

Don't know what happened to conference finals in 1991. And there we go, Michael Jordan and the Bulls. So, yeah, you know. All right, Kate Cunningham, there you go. You're going to lose to the Michael Jordan in the polls maybe in the conference finals.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

Kate.

[Esperaheni]

Look, Cade, we've talked about a lot this year. He goes 25, 10 assists, six rebounds. I mean, crazy game. He had his finish through contact. He didn't get a foul call on, so you won't see the highlight, but it was one of the stronger finishes I think I've seen anyone have this year. As far as just like a layup through contact and what I left like from that, from watching that play, S was just forget how big he is because of the way he plays, because of the way he moves. But he's huge. And he's actually taking advantage of how like his body.

[Dave DuFour]

Well, he's so big that they're willing to play him alongside Dennis Jenkins. Right. So they'll do double guard lineups and they're comfortable because Cade is 6, 6, 6, 7. He can guard up in positions. And I think that's one of the things with Cade, that people underrate how good of a defender he is. He's able to guard, he's. He has active hands, he moves his feet.

[Esperaheni]

Really good rib protector.

[Dave DuFour]

Really, really good rim protector for a size too. And honestly, Detroit in general takes away the rim from you. Between Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duran, those guys wall off the basket. You can't get a shot off against them. The guy to talk about here for the Pistons though, has to be Jalen Duran.

[Jared Weiss]

Absolutely.

[Dave DuFour]

I mean, he has been absurd to start this year. I was looking it up, but he's basically averaging 20 and 12 on 72% true shooting. He's defending the basket better than he ever has in his career. Teams are only shooting like 55% at the basket against him, which is elite. And then on top of that, you look at all of his metrics, like the efficiency, the steals, the blocks, all of the like advanced numbers as well. Whatever advanced numbers you want to throw out there are indicating that he is taking a leap. He looks like the shoe in to be the most improved player right now. A month into the season. We'll see how that develops.

[Esperaheni]

31 and 15 night before last without Kate out.

[Dave DuFour]

And by the way, I don't know if you've seen it, but like he's creating his own shots now. Like he'll catch it above the break, break down a guy, get to the basket, settle into these mid range jumpers. You don't have to do that all the time. But when you're shooting 92% on any given night and that's part of your shot diet, that's, that's elite. He looks like an all star this year. I think part of why the Pistons now have like this machine level identity where they can just walk into any game and win. Part of that is Jalen Durant just being awesome.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, absolutely. Taking a leap. I mean, that team again, you know, I, I just start thinking about if they could get one guy. It's one guy. One guy.

[Dave DuFour]

Maybe we saw him tonight. Maybe, maybe we saw him tonight. Larry Marketing, I'm saying, man, that's, that's the guy.

[Esperaheni]

If they went all in for Lowry Markkanen, does that get them to the finals? Like, is that, is he the guy that, that puts him there? Like, because that's where I think that they are in the East. Just like when you look at the east being down this year, there's such an opportunity.

[Dave DuFour]

My thing is with Lowry Marketing is that he, he's on under contract long term, so they can build with him too. It's not like you're signing on for a unrestricted free agent that you have to pay. The Jazz have already paid Lowry Markkanen and in terms of how he fits offensively, he's a guy who can move without the ball. He can knock down his shots, he can create his own shot a little bit. He's obviously a marksman shooter and the Pistons have tons of assets. They have also all of their pick capital, so they can make a trade and still have some flexibility to move without it. So I don't know. I, I would, if I was a Pistons for an office member, I would consider it. But hey, that's why they get paid the big bucks, right? You know I don't know.

[Esperaheni]

We'll see. We'll see how they do. December 15th coming up. I mean, listen, trade deadline, I think. Look, this is a year where teams are going to take a swing. It's open. Why not? Yeah, Wemby is not fully risen to prominence yet. The Thunder are, are definitely like, looking like they're run away with it in the West. But if you're in the east, why not, man? Like just go for it?

[Dave DuFour]

That's the thing. If you're in the Eastern Conference, especially if you're looking at the Cavs and the Knicks, who look good. The Cavs are dealing with some injuries. Knicks are also dealing with some injuries.

[Esperaheni]

They look vulnerable to me.

[Dave DuFour]

They look vulnerable. And if you're like the Hawks, if you're the Pistons, I'm going to sneak in the Raptors there. If you're the Bucks, you have to consider stuff. You have to try and make a run for it because maybe there's an opening.

[Esperaheni]

Those paychecks from the Raptors must be great, guys. Stick around after the break. We got Jared Weiss to talk about the spurs, how they're going to survive without Wemby and Castle. And when's Harper coming back?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hey, Andrew Schlecht here. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another great Emirates NBA cup double header. The night starts with Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers meeting Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And then it's down to Texas as Nicole Jokic and the Denver Nuggets get their first look at Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial and get started today. Remember, it's the Pacers and Cavs, the Nuggets and Rockets. If you are a hoops head at all, you're going to be locked in to Nuggets, Rockets. These are two of the best teams in the Western Conference. Two teams that should be vying for the Western Conference finals. Both fan bases should be disappointed if that's not where they get and we get our first look on prime at this big time matchup. Coverage starts Friday at 6:30 Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

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[Esperaheni]

Oh hey.

[Dave DuFour]

Welcome to gift wrapping.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Whoa.

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[Jared Weiss]

Wow.

[Robert Mays]

IPhone 17s.

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[Esperaheni]

I'm the worst.

[Robert Mays]

I only got my mom a robe.

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Well, it's better than socks.

[Robert Mays]

So I have to trade in my old phone, right?

[T-Mobile Salesperson]

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[Robert Mays]

Incredible.

[T-Mobile Salesperson]

In fact, wrap up my old phone too for my Aunt Rosa.

[Jared Weiss]

Forget that.

[T-Mobile Salesperson]

Aunt Liz will be jealous.

[Robert Mays]

Sounds like my family drama.

[T-Mobile Salesperson]

Oh, I got it. I'll give it to my abuela. I'll take reindeer paper with. Hey, where are you going?

[T-Mobile Announcer]

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[T-Mobile Legal/Disclaimer Voice]

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[Esperaheni]

You know as we we do our best around here when we're trying to schedule the Guests, Right. Like we're. We're looking for. Yeah, hopefully, you know, we've got our reporters in a place where their team might win. We might see something epic. We thought we were going to get Victor women Yama versus John Morant. Spurs, Grizzlies, everybody. Jared Weiss is not hurt. Jared Weiss was in the building for the big spurs comeback and win in spite of missing Victor women. Yama, Stefan Castle, Dylan Harper, Greg Popovich. Still not there. Jared, what'd you think about the spurs without everybody?

[Jared Weiss]

Well, I mean, I think everybody thought it was going to stink, like there were beans in here, but honestly, like, this game was pretty solid.

[Dave DuFour]

It was.

[Jared Weiss]

It was pretty good. Like, we had Cedric Coward, we had Luke Cornett, so we had all the star power that you really could need on an NBC broadcast. And so honestly, this game felt like it was mostly the spurs trying to wrestle Zach Edie, and then also. No, there were. The spurs didn't have a fast break point until, like, midway through the fourth quarter. But this game, you know, from a national perspective, we're not going to get into Jaren Jackson's triple drive angles or whatever. This was the spurs finishing on an 11 nothing run. Darren Fox looking good closing this game out and their defense looking good against a team that's missing all four of its point guards, although there was only one healthy point guard in this entire game. Like, it was insane, but, like, this was the spurs defense showing that they have an identity beyond Victor. And I asked Aaron Fox after the game about what message does that ending send? And he was like, listen, we have a set of defensive principles that are a team thing. And then Victor comes in and he enhances that. But our defense is not Victor. We have a Victor. Wembanyama is what makes our defense great. And so the fact that they could still play a pretty good defensive game. And Luke Cornett, even though he had a bad stat line, he did a pretty good job on Edie, who, like, Edie, didn't look that good in this game. And I think Cornet deserves a lot of credit for that because Edie was really beating the crap out of him and Cornet held strong. If Cornett wasn't out there doing his thing, Edie would have had like a 2512 game and he would have beaten them.

[Esperaheni]

I mean, they gave up 21 offensive rebounds. I'm just going to. Let's just point that out. The Grizz did hit, like, they hit the glass hard. And that's something the spurs will have to figure out without. Yeah, yeah.

[Jared Weiss]

Or they'll just lose games by 20 rebounds and then win anyway because they run pretty decent offense and they get out and run at the end.

[Dave DuFour]

What did you think about the late game execution? Harrison Barnes, AKA the closer, he was awesome to finish out this game. I think he went on a 9, 0 run by himself at some point. Obviously with Wemby out, some of the offensive usage shifts to more Dear and Fox more Devin Vsell, more Kel, Sheldon Johnson. But also Harrison Barnes has had a great start to this year as well.

[Jared Weiss]

Yeah, you know, Harrison didn't, you didn't really notice him a ton in the first few games of the season. And ever since then he's really stepped up. And he mentioned tonight how there's going to be like 30 games he's going to go without needing to take what he take 14 shots in this one. Like a lot of games are going to go by where he doesn't need to step up. And then this was a game where they just needed him to be decisive, attacking. And you can see like Harrison Barnes, he doesn't have the explosiveness he used to have, but he can break it out. And he had that dunk at the end there, which for, for him was like a huge poster. For most other players it was just like a run of the mill dunk. But the, you know, like the step back move on Landale to explode, he kept going to the rim. Like even his coach was like, that's all that activation that he's doing, all that recovery and activation. We were talking to Harrison about getting a Normatec sponsorship after the game. Like, the guy puts a lot of work into taking care of his body. And, and he's only like 33, right? So he's only two years younger than me, so I shouldn't be talking about how old he is. But the dude's old. I'm old. My knee's so bad after playing pickup right now, I don't know, I might need to get an MRI on those things. So the fact that strong, oh my.

[Esperaheni]

God, I have no complaints because I'm not old.

[Jared Weiss]

And you also work out a crazy amount. But you know, Harrison takes really good care of himself and he's very reliable. And over the last year, when people always ask me about like, are they going to get rid of Harrison Barnes and make room for these younger guys, I've always been like, what are you talking about? He's the glue. Like, he's the one reliable veteran on this team that not only can just like play solid defense, like Luke Cornett did in this game. But like he'll also give you 17 points. He'll make good decisions, quick decisions with the ball. Like you, you cannot overvalue the 0.5. Like it's one of those stats. It's so important and yet it's not tracked. And I don't even know anywhere where you can even find stats on guys making point five decisions. But point five is you catch the ball. You have to make a decision on what you're going to do with it within half a second. If you do not do that, you are a bad offensive player. It's that simple. Harrison Barnes, every time the ball hits his hands, he is doing something with it in less than half a second. And that's what makes you a really good role player.

[Esperaheni]

I'm sure teams have that tracking data by now for sure. Like the ball risks are being tracked, you know, like I'm, I'm sure they have that data. Okay, look, before we jump to injuries, I, I do want to ask you because you were in the house. You, you saw the Grizzlies up close. They've had a rough start to the season. We mentioned John Moran's out. They're now 4 and 11. Their, their coach was visibly frustrated during the game where clearly Memphis was supposed to run a play after a timeout. They didn't do that. It's happened quite a bit this year. What do you think about the Grizzlies?

[Jared Weiss]

I mean, listen, man, they're, they're really devoid of point guard play right now and obviously it's really hard to run plays when you don't have your point guard. And at the very least they have Cedric Howard as the focal point of their story. Like he's been really good. He's looking like a really key long term starter for them. You can't, you can't go into a huddle, drop a play, come out of it and then not run that play. Like that's a coach's nightmare right there. That's, that's a really bad sign. And you know this team, they have to dig their heels in supporting us. Hollow. They just hired him and the roster is going through some turnover, but obviously like they still have jaw. Jaw is not healthy right now. Jaws often not healthy. That's kind of part of their. Been kind of part of their issue beyond even the disciplinary stuff. And so I expect to see the Grizzlies just continue to lean into letting Isola do his thing, seeing if they can get the roster to fit around it. They're in a weird transition phase and they're missing all their point guards, so I didn't expect them to have that good of a night. And frankly, I thought that they competed really well. Like, they were right there and winning this game until the very end when San Antonio was able to close it out. So they're not. They're not super far away from being a decent team, but, like, they got to be able to execute and like, that's. That's just a red flag right there.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah.

[Dave DuFour]

Okay, so the spurs are in an injury palooza right now between Stefan Castle, Dylan Harper, Victor Wembanyama, missing a lot of bodies. We just talked about how they adjust and move forward. But when are some of those guys coming back?

[Jared Weiss]

Yeah, I mean, credit to them that they're tended for. And they have had every. Like, they haven't really played a game where everybody's healthy. Like maybe one, um, was. Was Phoenix the game where everyone was healthy and then that's when Harper got hurt and they got their asses kicked.

[Esperaheni]

So it has Fox's first game, and that's the one. Harper got hurt and they.

[Jared Weiss]

Ironically, it was the one where they got destroyed. It's like the only big loss they've had so far. Every other game has been super tight. So, I mean, obviously Vic is the key to the whole kingdom there, and they're really lucky they got cornet like this cornet signing and Olynic too. Olenek had a solid game off the bench. But, like, this cornet signing is going to prove to be crucial because obviously not only are they without Wemby for two to three weeks at the very least, but they're going to have to load. Manage him more. Like this calf strain thing is a very obvious sign. Like they're going to have to give him more nights off and that's like that. You gotta. You just gotta force him to do that. And I know it's hard with a lot of these young stars, but you gotta force them to do that. And it certainly seemed like the calf strain that Wemby suffered came when he got tangled up with pods in that Friday game. So maybe that was just like a, you know, he. He got tweaked and it was an injury. It wasn't like with Dylan Harper where he just like landed and he just like strained his calf on the landing where it was kind of like an unprompted injury, which is a little bit more concerning. So maybe this Wemby thing was just an accident and that's it. And there's nothing more to it. But, like, obviously with this guy, I don't care how much work he does to take care of himself, which is, like, an extreme amount. You still have to be extra cautious with them. He's just. He's just more vulnerable. And he. And he hits the floor a lot. Like, this happens every night. I see him hit the deck, and he lays on the floor, and it's like, two seconds where I'm like, all right, are they gonna have to move me to a different city now? Like, I'm like, oh, God. It's. They go through this every night.

[Esperaheni]

I mean, he's also got more legs to trip up, man.

[Jared Weiss]

Yeah. Yeah. And the way he plays. He plays going through the trees, which makes him more. More vulnerable to hitting the deck. So, you know, Webbie's in great shape. He's extremely flexible. He is. He has built himself to be injury resistant in his remarkable body, and yet resistance is not imperviousness, if that's the right word. He's like, they got. They got to play it smart. And this is what the spurs do. They. They are so cautious. Like, Stefan Castle, they do an mri. I'm making this part up. But, like, they see, like, a tiny little speck on the mri. They're like, shut it down. Like, all the alarms in the building start going off. They wrap him in bubble wrap. They tell him to shut up, and they put a bag over his head, and he wakes up, and he's in a hospital and a cast and whatever. Like, this is how the spurs operate here, and they're going to be really cautious. They understand they have a very deep team. They have one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and we saw that in this game where they're down half their rotation almost, and they still played pretty decently.

[Dave DuFour]

Jared, I'm curious, because obviously you mentioned the fact that this is year one in San Antonio for you, but you've had a chance to cover a lot of enigmatic personalities between the Celtics and now Victor Wembanyama, the star. How does Wemby differ from some of the other stars that you've had a chance to cover?

[Jared Weiss]

Well, I mean, I've covered Kyrie, and if you want to go through the ringer as a reporter, I have a very interesting relationship with Kyrie because he was pretty bad to work with when he was in Boston, but now we have a good relationship because he's just really kind of mellowed out and found his peace. And now I really look forward to getting to catch up with him when I do get to see him. So it's a good lesson in that people go through phases. Being a public figure is incredibly difficult. And I just, I always tell people I had a conversation before the game with a marketing director about this. Like, our audience just cannot appreciate how hard it is to be a public figure. Like, these guys are, like, they go on these press conferences, and every single word they say will be quoted meticulously. And if one word is in the wrong place.

[Dave DuFour]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jared Weiss]

It turns into a, like, into a firestorm. If I, I, I made some bad joke about beans at the beginning of the show, and it's not going to be on Legion Hoops tomorrow. Although it'd be really funny if it wasn't Legion Hoops tomorrow. Legion. Hoo. Aggregate. So it's, you know, Wemby is. He's able to handle that pressure really well. And he's very pensive. He's very steady. He's very slow and deliberate with how he answers things. And there's very few players I can remember that I see them, like, kind of slowly take it in. He makes really good eye contact. Like, he was raised very well by his parents. It's very apparent. Like, he, he makes really good eye contact. He, like, he's like, I've never seen a player, like, go, like, while I'm asking him a question. It's so interesting. And then he gets these very thoughtful answers, and he seems to get kind of lost in his answers, like he's on an adventure to hear what he has to say. He really takes everything he does incredibly seriously.

[Dave DuFour]

Very philosophic right there.

[Jared Weiss]

You know, he, I mean, there's a reason he is who he is. It is just like LeBron, just like Kobe. It's the mindset, and then it's the physical ability, and that's what makes him so unique. So covering him, I mean, he, I guess he's enigmatic in the sense that he's very hard to get a read on. And sometimes he's humble, sometimes he's confident. Sometimes he's boarding on arrogant. He gives you all these different elements of what it is to be a huge, huge star. And he does it so well. He does it as well as anyone I've ever seen.

[Esperaheni]

Extemporaneous. That's the word that you're looking for. That's where you figure it out. We're going to meander. I'm going to take you on a journey. Don't worry. We're going to get where I'm going. Jared Weiss, he covers the spurs for us. Go read him at the Athletic thank you so much for hanging out, staying up late. Thanks to Jared Weiss. Thanks to Esperahenny. I'm Dave Dufour. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

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[Jared Weiss]

Whoa.

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