NBA All Star Locks

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily — "NBA All Star Locks" (Dec 18, 2025)

Host: Dave DuFour
Co-Hosts: Zena Keita, Esfandiar Baraheni, Ben
Summary by: The Athletic NBA Daily Summarizer

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Overview

This episode features a lively, insightful roundtable as the team dives deep into the "NBA All Star Locks" for the 2025-26 season. With All-Star voting just opened, the crew debates which players are surefire picks versus those on the fringe for both Western and Eastern Conference All-Stars. They discuss how star power, consistency, team performance, and narrative affect selections — and argue over players like LeBron, Jamal Murray, Devin Booker, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, and more, with plenty of memorable quotes and honest disagreements.

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Western Conference: All-Star "Locks" and Debates

Early Take: LeBron James – In or Out?

• LeBron's Candidacy:
  • Dave asserts this isn't an All-Star season for LeBron; he missed a chunk of games and "there's no way you can say what he's done on the court puts him in the All Star category, period" ([03:50]).
  • All agree he’ll get in via fan votes, but none have him as a true on-court lock.
  • Ben: “The NBA is not going to have an All Star without him...they need some sort of constant, and LeBron James is an All Star” ([04:29]).
  • Zena notes "And it's in LA and it's a fan game" ([04:46]).

Western Conference All-Star Locks

• Shay Gilgeous-Alexander — front-runner for MVP ([05:03])
• Nikola Jokić
• Victor Wembanyama
• Luka Doncic
• Steph Curry ("another 40-point game from him with a loss" ([05:18]))
• Anthony Edwards
• Alperen Sengun
• Kevin Durant

Jamal Murray’s Leap

• Murray finally makes the cut due to consistency and career-high averages.
  • Dave: “This is the year that you put up or shut up...He’s not having these games where he dips away...people are now seeing consistency from him and impacting winning every single night” ([06:39]).
  • Zena: "The Jokic-Murray two-man game is literally one of the most unstoppable plays in basketball" ([06:13]).
  • Ben: "He's able to lead those bench units...and that's been a game changer" ([06:54]).

The Next Tier: Debates and Honorable Mentions

Devin Booker or Dylan Brooks?

• Dave: Booker is "an All-Star," but Ben has him only as an honorable mention ([07:19]).
• Zena: "Booker’s having a bounce-back year...but he’s not a lockdown" due to injury concerns ([08:22],[08:41]).
• Dylan Brooks: Recognized for “changing the culture,” but still fringe ([07:44]).

Thunder: More Than Just SGA?

• Chet Holmgren gets lots of love as an anchor for the league’s best defense and as a needed second OKC All-Star.
  • Ben: “You wouldn't be able to take the league seriously if the best team...don't have more than one person represented” ([10:05]).
• Dave: Points out Chet’s “18 points a game...over two stocks a game” and key role ([09:39]).

The Final Spots: The Box Score Kings

• Austin Reaves: Zena makes him their final selection, based on absurd stats, while Dave chooses Chet over Reaves for the last spot ([10:41]-[10:54]).
• Deni Avdija: Ben claims he’s a “no-brainer” due to crazy numbers, even on a bad team ([10:58]).
• Larry Markkanen: Honorable mention for great numbers on a non-competitive Utah team ([12:29]-[13:13]).

Other Notables

• Julius Randle: Honorable mention, “hard to put two Timberwolves on there,” but having a great season ([13:23]).
• De’Aaron Fox: Missed too much time, but “has been awesome, playing great” ([13:49],[13:57]).

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Eastern Conference: Locks and Controversies

([19:11] onward)

Fewer "Locks," More Debate

• Zena: "There are less locks than in the west in my opinion...the talent in the West is obviously more" ([19:25]-[19:38]).

Eastern Locks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo ("He’s been incredible...but he might miss time," [20:25])
• Jalen Brunson
• Karl-Anthony Towns
• Tyrese Maxey
• Cade Cunningham (Zena: “I would put Cade Cunningham as a lock. Duren not a lock, but he's there for me” [21:29])
• Jaleen Duren (panel agrees; “Duren’s leap is a story” [21:59])
• Jalen Brown
• Donovan Mitchell
  • Zena: “No, he's their lord and savior. He literally 30 points a game they need” ([22:36]).
  • Ben: “He’s the cleaner upper” ([22:33]); but points out his tendency to "fade away" in games ([22:40]).

Rising Stars

• Jalen Johnson (Hawks): Consensus lock due to all-around impact.
  • Dave: “This guy is a Swiss army knife, triple-double waiting to happen” ([23:24]).
  • Zena: “Every year he's added something to his game...he has the crazy box score numbers, he has the impact on off metrics...he's adding different wrinkles to his game” ([23:44]).

Contested Spots: Brandon Ingram vs. Scottie Barnes

• Zena: “[Scottie] has been their best defender....first team, all-defense guy...leading league in stocks" ([26:11]).
• Dave: Prefers Brandon Ingram for his scoring load and unlocking things for Barnes ([25:41]-[26:02]).
• Consensus: Both are on the bubble; may "cannibalize" each other in voting.

Other Fringe & Honorable Mentions

• Josh Giddey: Ben is the only one to have him as a lock. Zena and Dave see him as just outside due to Bulls’ poor performance ([26:48]-[27:29]).
• Pascal Siakam: Dave includes, Ben does not ([27:43]-[28:03]).
• Desmond Bane vs. Franz Wagner (Magic):
  • Dave rewards Bane’s shot creation and steadiness during injuries ([28:05]-[28:55]).
  • Zena leans Franz for all-around impact and defense.
  • Ben: Bane’s role in top Magic lineups makes him deserving ([29:12]).
• Norm Powell vs. Bam Adebayo (Heat):
  • Dave: “Consistent with my bias here, I would go Norm Powell...taking on that much of an offensive load, creation...is just more valuable” ([29:53]).
  • Zena/Ben: “The scoring has absolutely been ridiculous...I struggle with not letting Bam be an All Star” ([30:19]-[30:31]).

Deep Honorable Mentions & Final Rapid Fire

• Michael Porter Jr.
• Con Kanipple (“front-runner for rookie of the year” ([30:42]))
• Scottie Barnes ("runner-up," not a lock for Dave [30:52])
• Evan Mobley ("disappointing, not even an honorable mention" [30:56])
• OG Anunoby (Ben)
• Others ("There will be 40 All Stars by the time it’s done" ([31:27])).

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Notable Quotes

• “This is not an All Star season [for LeBron], period.” — Dave Dufour ([03:48])
• "You wouldn't be able to take the league seriously if the best team...don't have more than one person represented." — Ben on the Thunder ([10:05])
• “The Jokic-Murray two man game is literally one of the most unstoppable plays in basketball.” — Zena Keita ([06:13])
• “Booker’s having a bounce-back year...but he’s not a lockdown [All-Star].” — Zena Keita ([08:22])
• “Every year [Jalen Johnson has] added something...he has the impact on-off metrics...wrinkles to his game.” — Zena Keita ([23:44])
• “No, he's their lord and savior. He literally 30 points a game they need.” — Zena Keita, on Donovan Mitchell ([22:36])
• "Scottie [Barnes] has been their best defender...leading league in stocks, first team all-defense guy." — Zena Keita ([26:11])
• “Consistent with my bias here, I would go Norm Powell...just more valuable.” — Dave Dufour ([30:03])
• “There will be 40 All Stars by the time it’s done.” — Zena Keita ([31:27])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Western All-Star discussion begins: [03:28]
• LeBron not an All-Star? [03:28]–[04:48]
• Locks in the West: [05:03]–[06:13]
• Jamal Murray's breakout: [05:39]–[06:54]
• Honorable mentions (Booker, Brooks, etc.): [07:07]–[08:41]
• Thunder's All-Star cases: [09:03]–[10:17]
• Bottom of the list/Austin Reaves, Deni Avdija: [10:26]–[12:22]
• Larry Markkanen & other mentions: [12:29]–[13:13]
• Eastern All-Star discussion begins: [19:11]
• Eastern locks & debates: [20:25]–[22:55]
• Jalen Johnson/Scottie Barnes/Ingram debate: [23:08]–[26:33]
• Josh Giddey, Siakam, Magic players: [26:48]–[29:08]
• Heat (Powell/Bam) debate: [29:41]–[30:31]
• Final rapid-fire/runner-ups: [30:31]–[31:18]

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Tone & Style

• Candid, playful, and opinionated back-and-forth
• Hosts openly disagree and explain the “why” behind their ballots
• Willingness to acknowledge error, change opinions, and joke about “having 25 in the top 15” ([31:30])

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Takeaways

• The 2026 All-Star field is more competitive than ever, with major debate over the final spots, especially in the East.
• Consistency, narrative, and team records are weighing heavily, especially for the "supporting stars."
• The panel predicts some highly deserving players may miss out due to the talent crunch, but jokes: "There will be 40 All Stars by the time it’s done."
• With new All-Star formats (U.S. vs World, etc.), roster composition is more important than ever.
• Expect some surprises as records, injuries, and narratives evolve over the next month.

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For fans who want a jumpstart on watercooler debates or All-Star voting — this episode is indispensable.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. I'm Dave Dufour here with Esperaheni Zena Keda. We're still in Vegas for the NBA cup, which by now you know what's happened. But we're recording this ahead of time. We're talking All Stars are two early All Stars to celebrate the opening of All Star voting. Before we jump into our teams, I do want to talk LeBron James in what is not an All Star season, as one does. Yeah, yeah. Because this is, I mean, it's not going to be his last year, I don't think. I assume we would know ahead of time, but he missed a significant chunk of the start of the season and so there's no way you can say what he's done on the court puts him in the All Star category, period. He's going to get in fan votes.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I don't know these guys is going to get.

[Dave Dufour]

But none of us had him on our list as an All Star. I mean, like, there's just. Yeah, no argument there.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

But like, how could you.

[Ben]

I didn't have him on my list as a. I guess you could say credible.

[Dave Dufour]

Right, right, right.

[Ben]

But I had him on my list from the sheer factor that the NBA is not going to have an All Star without him, especially at this point of his career. And the fact that they're consistently changing things each year, they need some sort of constant. And LeBron James is an All Star, I think provides you.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And it's in la and it's in.

[Ben]

LA and it's in la and it's a fan game.

[Dave Dufour]

So like that in mind, guys, let's, let's talk about our Western all stars. We know LeBron's going to be there. Yeah. But I want to talk first about the locks, like the players that we just agree on the unanimous selections. And it's probably the majority of this team because it's pretty obvious Shay Gill is Alexander front runner for mvp. Obviously. Nicola Jokic.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yep.

[Dave Dufour]

I think we. Victor Wembanyama.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour]

Luka Doncic, who just. I think he just scored another 40 points. Steph Curry.

[Capital One Bank Guy]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

Yes. Who again the other night, another 40 point game from him with a loss.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Most. Most over Michael Jordan.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Officially.

[Dave Dufour]

Anthony Edwards.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

Unanimous selection there. Alperin Shingoon.

[Ben]

Unanimous.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Again we're. We're on a heater. Kevin Durant. Y.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

They get two.

[Dave Dufour]

They. They do get two. And Jamal Murray, I don't know if he's a lock. He's not a lock, but he is selection here. I mean this is. And again, one of the things we talked about coming into the season for the Nuggets, that was super important for Jamal Murray especially. This is the year that you put up or shut up. They just made this huge overhaul to the roster. It's paid off. Even though Christian Brown and Aaron Gordon have missed significant time. Is the best start in Nuggets history. And it's because Jamal Murray from the jump was good. He didn't play his way into sh. He has. Exactly.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's. He's averaging a career high in points, career high in assists. Doing it exactly how efficiently you want him to. The YIC Murray two man game is literally one of the most unstoppable plays in basketball.

[Dave Dufour]

If that 52 point game where he went 10 of 11 from three.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Exactly. Yeah. This is his best season and he's healthy. So I think he should be an alpha.

[Ben]

And the biggest thing. We've talked about this before, Dave, on the pod, like, it's the fact that he's not having these games where he dips away.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Ben]

Where he's not a factor. Where you're kind of like, what's going on with Jamal Murray? And that's what's happened in the previous years. That's why he's lacked the all star credibility in the past. And people are now seeing consistency from him and impacting winning every single night. And that's great.

[Dave Dufour]

And, and he's able to lead those bench units. Yeah.

[Ben]

Right now.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Ben]

And.

[Dave Dufour]

And that's been a game changer for them to not lose those minutes. So again, all star back to 2020 swagger.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben]

For Jamal Murray.

[Dave Dufour]

Now we might get into some debate here. Down bottom of the list. I, I'm gonna, I'm gonna say Devin Booker is an all star. I agree.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

All right.

[Dave Dufour]

Did he also make your list?

[Ben]

He was an honorable mention.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay. So he's close. Okay. The argument there is that the Suns have been this great story.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

They are exceeding expectations by basically all measures. They're a very good offensive team. Devin Booker is a big part of that. I actually thought of Dylan Brooks is like an all honorable mention just because like 21 points.

[Ben]

But this is. No it.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He can't get in. But it's an honorable.

[Ben]

Exactly. And that's why I struggled. I'm like both of those plays. Of course Devin Booker has been leading this, but both of them have. Dylan Brooks has come in and single handedly like changed the culture. I feel like of Phoenix and I feel like that deserves some love, that deserves some recognition of some sort. And that's why I struggle to just be like outright Devin Booker. You get it?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Because it's.

[Dave Dufour]

I was say the French word for share.

[Ben]

It's shared between the two of them.

[Dave Dufour]

Would you guys watch Dylan Brooks in like the skills competition?

[Andrew Schlecht]

No.

[Ben]

No, no, no.

[Dave Dufour]

Absolutely three point contest.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He could be in. Maybe I could see him.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, well, they're gonna probably. They're gonna find a Clipper to go in there. Somebody from the Clippers has got to be in the building and I guess three point contest, they'll figure that out.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I look with. With Booker, the, the thing I would say is one, they're very good offensively this year. He's a big part of that and I think they've put him back in a role that makes sense for him. With tons of guard play, good shooting, their system makes sense and that's why Booker is having a bounce back year. So yeah, I, I think he's in there, but he's not a lockdown.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Also he's hurt, so we'll see who he is.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, and again there's back. We don't know how this is going to work, especially with the new format where it's going to be, you know, the three teams. You've got the US Team, the world team. We did all wind up with 16American players and eight world players. I actually that was my list. I didn't go through and. And parse through. It just worked out that way. So.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Can I ask you guys a question?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

We mentioned one thunder in S. And this team is 25 and 1 or whatever it is. 24 and 2.

[Dave Dufour]

24 and 2. Yeah. Chad Holmgren.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Holmgren.

[Dave Dufour]

Chad Holmgren is an all star in my opinion. He's anchored that defense as the center. Best defense missed all this time. Jalen Williams missed, has missed a ton.

[Ben]

And how many games have OKC started slow. And it was Chad, right. That was their jump starter.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Scoring in the paint, scoring in that mid range, getting things going. Even if he quieted down in the second half, he was the one that kind of levied them until they could get going going offensively.

[Dave Dufour]

Scoring 18 a game.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

You know, look, the rebounding numbers are, are like he's not double digit rebounder but over two stocks a game. 18 points a game. Second leading scorer on the team and again has played so much. And this is story of the season is this season Thunder need at least two all stars in my opinion. I think that that's, I mean you look down the list. I've got two Rockets, I've got two Nuggets.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

It would be weird.

[Ben]

You wouldn't be able to take the league seriously if the best team, by the measures that they're the best. Yeah. Don't have more than one person represented. Like that would be silly.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

My thing is though, like, and I agree, I think Chet will end up.

[Dave Dufour]

Is he on your list?

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's on my list.

[Aura Frame Advertiser]

Okay.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Andrew Schleck made sure that he's on my list. But there's other guys who box score numbers.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Are.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Are like gaudier. You know, you think of Austin Reeves obviously who's averaging nearly 30 points a game.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

You know, 27, 7 and 7. That's absurd. That has to be an all star level player.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't have him on my all star.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He is my final selection and he.

[Dave Dufour]

See, Chet was my last election. I took, I took Chet over Austin Reeves and it's not to knock Austin Reeves. I just ran out of guys, to be honest with you.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

But then there's, you know, there's the guys on bad teams.

[Ben]

I was waiting for my chance. I mean Denny Abdia, you. I got to get up the numbers. But Denny Abdia to me is a no brainer. Like the way that he's scoring, the way that he's leading that offense. And yeah, Portland's not great.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben]

But he's putting up crazy numbers. And honestly, not, not seriously. Jeremy Grant's playing them crazy numbers.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, no, he is like, let's just be real.

[Ben]

I mean if that's, if we're talking about this. But no, Jeremy Grant's not in the conversation. But I think Danny Abdia absolutely is. His assist numbers. It's absurd on Top of his scoring is crazy.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's the best driver in basketball.

[Dave Dufour]

Playmaking and scoring combo from him. I mean, he's just in like, he's in like the top five percentile.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

In individual creation and playmaking for his teammates. I, I, that's, you gotta, I think you've got to give him credit for that. Austin Reeves is even the best offensive player on his own team. That's true. And he benefits quite a bit from playing.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And I'll counter with this.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't want to.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

His missed games.

[Dave Dufour]

Austin has gone off. He's been amazing.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yes.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And like that's, that's my counter to that also on top of this. If we're going based on what is the, if we're splitting hairs. The final call.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The Lakers are win games.

[Dave Dufour]

They are winning games.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And so you throw Austin Reeves over. Maybe Danny.

[Dave Dufour]

I can't argue against Austin Reeves. I think Austin Reeves will make it, by the way.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

I just think he, it makes sense.

[Ben]

Like, I just like market wise, it.

[Dave Dufour]

Makes sense, but he's good.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Sure.

[Ben]

But Danny Abdia pulled up numbers 25, 7 and 6.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Ben]

I mean, they're comparable.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's the best driver in basketball right now. Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay. My honorable mention here, and this is really close. You talked about bad teams. This is probably what kept him out. Allow remarketing. Has had an incredible start to the season and they're not that bad. They're not. No, no, no.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

They're, they're competitive. They're not great.

[Dave Dufour]

No, no, no. They put numbers.

[Ben]

They put numbers.

[Dave Dufour]

No, wait.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Cooper flag just scored 40 on.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, okay. But the, the Jazz don't want to win games and I, I will hold that against Larry Markin a little bit. Somebody's got to score the points there. And he's going to do it. Keante George has been doing it.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's been great.

[Dave Dufour]

But Larry has been, he's been fantastic. And I think that, you know, if he winds up getting traded, I think that he, he's an all star next year if he's on a better team.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Larry, Larry mar.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, he's an all star level.

[Ben]

I think the grace that was given to Larry Markin and make him all star before is the same one that I would give to Denny aia.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's fair.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ben]

That's how I would proceed.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The, the, the other honorable mention I throw in there that I just couldn't rationalize because it would be hard to put two Timberwolves on there. But Julius Randall is having a Very, very good season. Yeah, like scoring the ball efficiently. He's been one of their obviously focal points on the offensive end. The decision making has been good from him this year. I just, it's hard to put two timber rolls on there.

[Ben]

You guys have, you have two Timberwolves from. I had.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh, who else?

[Ben]

Darren Fox.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The injury stuff made it so that it's hard to put him on that. Yeah, but I, I agree with you.

[Dave Dufour]

He's been awesome, playing great.

[Ben]

He's been amazing and you've been putting up numbers and the spurs are good.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben]

I mean, we won't know this at the moment that we're recording.

[Dave Dufour]

They could be, they could be the.

[Ben]

NBA cup champions behind Aaron Fox.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't know. Yeah, I, I don't, I don't have Fox and I, it's, it's because just he missed so much time.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah, sure.

[Dave Dufour]

And now that being said, this is the two early All Stars. I think maybe we get another month into the season and a number of these guys are just not going to be available for whatever reason, whether it's injury or otherwise. So, you know, we know we're going to have like 40 all star. So that's the nice thing is anybody we left off the list, they're going to make it. Probably going to make it. Yeah. Guys, stick around after the break. We're going to go to the east where I think we have some controversy.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hey, Andrew Schlecht here. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another thrilling double header. It tips off with Tyrese Maxey and Those spunky Philadelphia 76ers heading up to Madison Square Garden to take on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. Then the action heads west as SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's a rematch of the Western Conference finals, by the way. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial to get started today. Sixers and Knicks, the Thunder and the T Wolves. I can't wait to watch both these matchups. High powered guards in the Eastern Conference. Aries Maxi's taking a leap. If you haven't watched Iris Maxi play, this is the perfect setting. Everybody wants to play well at msg. And then ANT versus sga. We got Fire versus Ice. I mean, come on, everybody wants to watch this one. Coverage starts Friday at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. I'm sure you've Heard a lot of people talk about AI trends and how it helps you be a little bit more efficient. But listen, you can talk about it all you want, but really what you need is to put these tools to work. And for that you need Zapier. Zapier is how you break the hype cycle and put AI to work for real. I'm excited to get into using Zapier. It's. It's going to help with it. Hr, marketing, sales. This is something that is going to just revolutionize the way that you work. And in fact, 3.4 million companies are already automated with Zapier. Zapier means you and your team can actually reap the benefits of AI, not just talk about it. With Zapier's AI orchestration platform, you can bring the power of AI to your work. Connect top AI models like Chat, GPT and Claude to apps your team is already using so you can add AI exactly where you need it. Whether it's automating, enriching leads, coaching your sales reps, revolving IT tickets, or something else, you can do it with Zapier. Zapier is for everyone, not just tech experts. No IT bottlenecks. No complexity, no AI hype, just results. Teams have already automated over 300 million AI tasks using Zapier. Join the 3.4 million companies already automating with Zapier and transform how you work. Work with Zapier and AI. Get started for free by visiting zapier.com NBA Daily. That's Z-A P I-E-R.com NBA Daily.

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[Dave Dufour]

And we're back. Talking about the All Stars. Way too early, guys. Yep. Way too early.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Still months left, but this is what makes it fun.

[Dave Dufour]

That's right. All right. In the East, I think we've got a lot of locks. Again, just like the West.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

So there are less locks than in the west, in my opinion.

[Aura Frame Advertiser]

Are there?

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Oh, I think so.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Because I think the talent in the West, I mean, nobody is going to dispute this, but the talent in the.

[Ben]

West is obviously more like.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

So it's harder to make the picks. There's probably more locks than spots.

[Dave Dufour]

I will say this. When you get to the bottom of the list for the Eastern All Stars, you start having some crazy conversations.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Gets a little tough. I would.

[Dave Dufour]

I am uncomfortable with how much I was thinking about Michael Porter Jr. Period. Much less as an All Star.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Oh, man, they have. How many wins do the Nuts have right now?

[Dave Dufour]

I don't know.

[Ben]

Three, Four.

[Dave Dufour]

Four.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I think it's four.

[Ben]

I think it's four.

[Aura Frame Advertiser]

Could be.

[Dave Dufour]

Not many. Yeah. Enough that we could probably name the teams that they've beaten. But anyway, let's have seven, actually.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

So.

[Dave Dufour]

Seven.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

We apologize. I was thinking about the Wizards. I apologize.

[Dave Dufour]

All right.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Michael Porter Jr. Has been great.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

We'll talk and we'll talk about it when we get to the bottom of the list.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right.

[Dave Dufour]

Locks, I think Giannis.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

A lot.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

But he might miss time.

[Dave Dufour]

He may miss time.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

So that's the.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh, right. Right.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

But I agree. He is.

[Dave Dufour]

He's been incredible. He's played this year. I mean. Yes. By far. And, you know, mvp. Cand it as far as the numbers go. Team's not winning at all. So he. I. A little bit of an afterthought, essentially, since he's, you know, since he got injured. Yeah. Like, we're not. We're only talking about him as not being a Milwaukee buck anymore. We're not talking about. What does it mean when he comes back. You know, I've noticed, like, there's been a vibe shift around it and, you know, we'll see. Like, I'm assuming he's not going to be out Too much longer. Probably couple.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Two to four weeks. Yeah, I think it said so.

[Dave Dufour]

So maybe, you know, after the holidays. Okay. Jalen Brunson. Yes. Carl Anthony Towns.

[Ben]

How dare you guys. Tyrese Maxi needs to be more.

[Dave Dufour]

He's.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's a lot coming.

[Ben]

He's a lot.

[Dave Dufour]

He's a lot.

[Ben]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Dave Dufour]

Tyrese Maxi, another lot.

[Ben]

Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Carl Anthony Towns. Yeah. How about Kate Cunningham and Jalen Duran, two players from the Pistons? How do you guys feel about that? Are they both locks?

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Personally, I would put Kate Cunningham as a lock. Duran not a lock, but he's there for me.

[Andrew Schlecht]

All right.

[Dave Dufour]

A unanimous selection for this panel of ball knowers because Jaylen Duran's been awesome. His Pistons, again, they are the front runners right now in the East. Y. The Knicks, we say, are the best team in the east.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

But the Pistons have won more games.

[Dave Dufour]

Absolutely. And they. And they look like they're going to be the one or two seed. Yeah. By the time we get to the playoffs. And I think, you know, again telling the story of the season. Jaylen Duran's leap is a story.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Is a he could win player this year based on.

[Dave Dufour]

So I'm, I'm, you know, know again, I got him as an all star. Jalen Brown.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour]

You know, we talked with Jay King about him the other day. Just his ability, like what he's done. Taking a little bit of a leap. Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The mid range scoring has been awesome.

[Dave Dufour]

Incredible shooting. Like Kevin Durant.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah, absolutely. All right.

[Ben]

He's been a talker this year too.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He has been a talker and a streamer. Donovan Mitchell is also a lot of.

[Ben]

Mitchell for me too.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The Cavs have been weird, but. But he.

[Dave Dufour]

He's basically not because of Donovan Mitchell.

[Ben]

He's the cleaner upper.

[Dave Dufour]

Exactly.

[Ben]

He's the cleaner upper.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

No, he's their lord and savior. He literally 30 points a game they need.

[Ben]

But the only thing, though, the only thing about Donovan Mitchell is he has those. What we were just talking about with Jamal Murray where he kind of dips away and fades away. You're like, where is Donovan? And then the fourth quarter.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, exactly.

[Capital One Bank Guy]

Right.

[Ben]

And he's probably clutch player of the year. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, they're in a lot of clutch games though. That's actually one of the problems he has. They get down into these tight games and they're a little soft. Yeah.

[Ben]

Those are clutch.

[Dave Dufour]

So those are the locks.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I'm going to pitch another lock to you guys.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh, I. If is it my guy Is your guy Atlanta?

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I think he's Also a lock.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay. All right.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Okay. Sorry. That's another.

[Dave Dufour]

All right, all right. We. We'll get there.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I agree. That is a lock.

[Dave Dufour]

This guy is a Swiss army knife triple double waiting to happen. You know, a lot of people talking about Giannis being traded maybe to Atlanta, and, and if I'm Atlanta, there's no way I am giving up Jalen Johnson. I just, I think this guy is going to be a star and could be a star for them. Yep. If they keep build around him. Let's see what that looks like.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

No, I, I like it. I think he is. Every year he's added something to his game. He probably would have been an all star last year if he didn't get hurt. And if you look at what he's done, he has the crazy box score numbers, he has the impact on off metrics, et cetera. And on top of that, he's adding different wrinkles to his game. The Hawks are playing pretty good basketball without Trey.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And he's a huge part of that.

[Ben]

That's crazy. Like, I almost for a while, I compare Jalen Johnson's game to DeAndre Hunters just because of what they could do when they got on the floor in three and D, play defense, just be long and like DeAndre's been kind of quiet this year in comparison to what he was putting up last year. Now I'm looking at Jalen Johnson like, oh, you're way bigger. Like you.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He's like a point forward.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

DeAndre Hunt.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Well, this is what we get to see when Trey isn't there, being the focal point of the offense. Right. If Trey Young comes back to this team and, and will fit in around what's happening playing off the ball, which we've been talking about since he was at Oklahoma. Right. Get off the ball. Go watch some Steph Curry tape.

[Ben]

That's how he was supposed to be.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, but he just refuses to go play that way. And it's been years of this, no matter when they have talent or not. When Dejounte Murray was there, the guy who's supposed to help take some of this playmaking role, he's still didn't play ball with the rest of the guys. And it's, it's, it's really, it's a shame because he's a amazing passer, one of the best passers in the NBA, which is crazy because at his height he might shouldn't be able to. Yeah, he's a really good cutter. Really smart. He's a smart player, but he will not play off the basketball. So if he comes back and he'll just kind of fit in and. But I think the Hawks could be really, really good.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And if they make a trade.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Right. They're.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

They're rumored for Anthony Davis, Giannis. We'll see if they end up.

[Dave Dufour]

Absolutely. Okay, now. Now we're going to get into. I debate. No, I have.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I have another lock.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

All of the things you guys just said about Jalen Johnson apply to Scotty Barnes.

[Dave Dufour]

Not a lock. Because I chose Brandon Ingram.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

This is the question I have for you.

[Ben]

Scotty. I didn't have as a lock, but I chose.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I. I think that will be an interesting question for voters because those two guys might end up cannibalizing each other 100%.

[Dave Dufour]

That's what happened for me.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Scotty Barnes is a honorable mention for me.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

I think he's been great, but I just think. Think Brandon Ingram has unlocked a lot of stuff for Scotty Barnes. Yeah. And, you know, I just think the scoring load that he's taken on. He's had an all star.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I will say, look, Scotty has been their best defender.

[Ben]

Right.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And so the defensive side of the. He's leading the league in stocks, like, that's how good of a defender he's been. First team, all defense guy. I think that matters a little bit more to me. With Ingram, it's just been scoring. Scotty's doing everything else.

[Capital One Bank Guy]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, I can't argue against Scotty.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Their best player is my whole spiel for this.

[Ben]

This.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And if they're. They're still a top three or four seed by the end of this. You got to reward the best. Maybe that's my pick.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ben]

I got another lock for you guys.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Oh, another lock. Wait, we're running out of locks.

[Ben]

Yeah, I think we're past our locks.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Ben]

But I didn't have Scotty Barnes in the lock. I had Josh Giddy.

[Dave Dufour]

I do not have Josh.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I did not have Josh.

[Dave Dufour]

I think you're alone.

[Ben]

Points nine.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Good. Box.

[Ben]

29 and eight.

[Dave Dufour]

I know. Yeah, yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

And he's shooting the ball while he's shooting like 40% from 3.

[Dave Dufour]

I know.

[Ben]

You don't have him on your list at all.

[Dave Dufour]

I have honorable mention for me.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Very nice.

[Ben]

Wow. He. Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

But again, see, this is where we're.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

2 and 8 in their last 10 years.

[Ben]

I get that they started strong.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

We had this debate earlier.

[Dave Dufour]

We did.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Me and Andrew when we were talking about taco eating tacos. But it's just hard to Put Josh in there.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Because of how bad the Bulls have went. Been recently. So they've just. If they kept some sort of competitiveness, then maybe we could have this conversation.

[Ben]

I think it's probably a lot fair. So on that note, then, no Denny, no Lori or Lowry.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh, well, that's why. That was his argument, that they were not good enough. And, you know, for me, Giddy was just. He was just outside looking in just because he just wasn't as good as these other guys. Like, I have Pascal Siakam, him as an All Star again. The other guy's on a bad team.

[Ben]

I. I've got Giddy over Pascal again.

[Dave Dufour]

We're. We're in the weeds a little bit. Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Pascal has been great this year, but I can't.

[Dave Dufour]

And my last guy was Desmond Bane because I do think the Orlando Magic should get someone. And what Desmond Bane has done for that team, especially when Powell was out. Correct. When Franz went down. Because those guys, they. They will not play together, apparently. And. And then when Suggs has been hurt, you know, I think Desmond Bain, he's been the one through line for this season, and, you know, he's been.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I would put Franz. Franz would be my guy for the Magic. I think he's such. He's their propeller on offense as a driver, and he's a very, very talented defender. So, like, yes, Desmond Bain, this is sort of the similar conversation we're having, the Scotty Barnes and Brandon Ingram, where it's like, of course, the new guy on the block has come in and rejuvenated things, but then the best player on the team, which is, in my opinion, Franz Wagner is the guy that.

[Dave Dufour]

I'm, you know, rewarding shot creation a lot.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

In. In these All Star picks on for those two guys. Yeah. Because I do think that what the. The load that they're carrying in that capacity is just. It's higher.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

So then. So then for the Heat.

[Ben]

Wait.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Ben]

The reason why I have Desmond over Franz is the connectivity aspect. Right. Looking at the top 10 lineups that Orlando put out there every night, Bane is in seven of those top ten lineups.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

He helps them with just four for.

[Ben]

Franz, and Paolo's in two.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Ben]

So I'm. I'm thinking, Desmond, you deserve this. And he. If all the traits that were made over the summer, who fits like a glove.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Ben]

On their team.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay, wait.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Based on this conversation, because I agree with you that, like, that is a very valid point for Desmond Bain. How do you guys parse through norm pal or bam out of bio for the Heat.

[Dave Dufour]

I would go Norm.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Exact same conversation we have for Scotty or Pascal Franz Desmond. It's impact versus the big scoring numbers. Right.

[Ben]

You know what? I gotta look up Bam's number again.

[Dave Dufour]

Again, consistent with my bias here. I would go Norm Powell. I just think that taking on that much of an offensive load creation, the stuff that he has to do.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

I think it's just more valuable. And nor is he's been. Been fantastic.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

The scoring has been ridiculous.

[Ben]

The scoring has absolutely been ridiculous. And the scoring was ridiculous at the Clippers as well. I really. I struggle with. With not letting Bam be an All Star.

[Dave Dufour]

All right, well, we're. We're out of time. And shout out to runner ups Michael Porter Jr.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Absolutely.

[Ben]

Which is insane.

[Dave Dufour]

Con Canipple was almost an all Star for me. I had him on the list.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Almost averaging 20 a game. I mean, he's the front runner for rookie of the year right now. You know, really great class, you know. No. Scotty Barnes, runner up for me.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Evan Mobley on the outside looking in.

[Ben]

Looking for.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Which is disappointing.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

I haven't even. I didn't even have him as an honorable mention, truthfully.

[Dave Dufour]

Wow. How the mighty have fallen.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Yeah, it's. It's been. I've been very disappointed.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

With however Mobley has played this year.

[Dave Dufour]

I know. Anyway, let us know in the comments if you're watching on YouTube. Leave us a five star review. Wherever you listen to podcasts, please don't.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

Hate us for our all Star picks.

[Dave Dufour]

Or do, but do it in a fun way. We're okay. We're okay with that.

[Ben]

I'm sliding in OG and an OB as a honorable mention.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay. I think by the time we get there, there's going to be more. Probably.

[Ben]

We have too many. We have too many, y'.

[Dave Dufour]

All.

[Ben]

That's why it's too early.

[Esperaheni Zena Keda]

All of these players will make it, by the way, because there will be 40.

[Dave Dufour]

Also, I have 25 players in my top 15 for Xena, Cana and Esperahenny. I'm Dave Deford and this is Ben the NBA Daily. Thanks for listening.

[Andrew Schlecht]

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[Dave Dufour]

All he talks about.

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In a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply see capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC.

[Ben]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Dave Dufour]

Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski. Lift with your legs, man.

[Ben]

Santa.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Dave Dufour]

He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not.

[Ben]

Of course he did.

[Dave Dufour]

Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies.

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