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

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.

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]).

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])).

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])

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]

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])

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.

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